Attachments
Introduction and background
About us:
Doctors of the World (DoTW) Türkiye/Médecins du Monde (MdM) Türkiye is registered as Dünya Doktorları Derneği (DDD). DoTW is a Türkiye-based humanitarian non-governmental organization that facilitates access to healthcare for populations affected by armed conflict, violence, natural disasters, disease, famine, poverty and exclusion.
DoTW collaborates with partners and key stakeholders to implement projects that facilitate access to primary and secondary healthcare services and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services to respond to the medical needs of the affected populations.
DoTW is the 16th member of the Doctors of the World (Médecins du Monde) International Network that is committed to meeting the health needs of vulnerable people globally. DoTW also has years of experience safely providing access to health care and support to vulnerable populations in Türkiye and in Syria in collaboration with local and national authorities and in coordination with other humanitarian actors.
Context
On the night of February 6, 2023, at 4:17 a.m. local time, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye and Syria resulting in more than 50,000 deaths in both countries at the time of this report. Türkiye has announced a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces worst affected by the earthquake. This marks the most powerful earthquake recorded in Türkiye since 1939. The quake was followed by 78 aftershocks, and it hit the region a second time in the afternoon on the 6th of February at 13:24 p.m. with a magnitude of 7.6 in Ekinozu/Kahramanmaras province. Another 6.4 earthquake hit Defne and Samandağ districts in Hatay on February 20. More than 15 million people are affected. In Syria, at least 8,000 people (4,400 in NWS) are reported dead as of 20 February with the majority of victims recorded in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartous. In Türkiye, the authorities count more 46,000 are dead. More than a thousand buildings have completely collapsed, raising fears of even higher human losses.