Attachments
OVERALL PROGRESS
Context
At the beginning of 2023, severe earthquakes in southern Türkiye caused over 50,000 deaths and displaced more than three million people. As of 30 March, 894,000 housing and commercial units were assessed as needing urgent demolition or being heavily damaged. By June 2023, close to 3 million people remained displaced, with 2.4 million sheltering in tents. Despite ongoing challenges, the Turkish government led by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency also known as AFAD, along with the Turkish Red Crescent and other humanitarian organizations, coordinated relief efforts providing shelter, food and psychosocial support.
Türkiye continues to host around 3.3 million Syrians and other refugees, placing additional strain on the system. The affected regions, already economically vulnerable, faced severe damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. Türkiye’s geographical and environmental conditions contribute to a high risk of disasters including earthquakes and wildfires, with climate change expected to exacerbate these challenges.
Türkiye has been experiencing an economic crisis for the past years, and it has worsened significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. Inflation had reached nearly 80 per cent in Türkiye by June 2022, compared with the previous year, while the overall poverty rate rose to 12.1 per cent over the summer. The pandemic aggravated those indicators, increasing vulnerabilities and barriers to access of basic needs during the shutdowns and caseload peaks. Higher domestic food prices, lower incomes and increasing unemployment rates have had a significant impact on overall food security and access to healthy food.
Due to the conflict ongoing in Ukraine, more than five million people have fled to neighbouring countries, including Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary and Belarus and Russia. Displaced individuals from Ukraine also cross into Türkiye through the borders with Bulgaria and Georgia.