Türkiye Earthquake Response 2023: Kahramanmaraş Humanitarian Snapshot, as of 13 July 2023

Situation Update

The authorities are consolidating informal and formal tent sites to provide better services, while moving people to container cities. According to the latest information from authorities, all people who apply for containers and are entitled will be granted a place in container cities or collapsible containers in rural areas in June. Refugees¹ are permitted to apply for containers, but reportedly no refugees had moved to containers at the time of writing. Partners are engaging with refugees and other communities regarding relocation.
The future of distribution of hot meals in formal sites is to be confirmed, while partners including the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) will discontin-ue distribution of hot meals in informal sites. TRC's assessments show that approximately 11,400 people require hot meals in 15 informal sites in the Dulkadiroğlu District, while Food Security and Livelihoods partners will continue distributing food packages and cash assistance at informal sites where adequate water, sanitation, waste disposal, fuel, access to food and utensils are available. Fire safety is an ongoing concern as people resume cooking.
WASH partners are determining the expenditure value for hygiene kits to transition to cash-for-hygiene. Early Recovery partners are planning to introduce a Business Matchmaking Platform for local cooperatives to sell their products, enhancing their income generating opportunities.
Challenges include the need for housing, land and property legal support, and observed increased inter-communal tensions, while the number of organizations offering psychosocial support is also reducing. School attendance – which is not compulsory at the moment – has been very low due to the lack of transportation and concerns about entering potentially unsafe buildings.

-Partners are engaging with refugees and other communities regarding relocation however unclarity of the settlement relocation processes and provision of containers for refugees remain as main concerns among community members.

-Challenges include the need for housing, land and property legal support, and observed increased inter-communal tensions, no such increased challenge for HLP and inter-communal increase is reported in recent sector meetings, but HLP related information needs being observed, while HLP guideline, information dissemina-tion on HLP rights and legal referrals are ongoing through Bar Associations.

-Worsening psychosocial wellbeing of persons, increased concerns regarding child safeguarding, child neglect and CEFM, and increased GBV risks due to lack of privacy in tented settlements are main protection issues, which capacity development for non-protection sector members are ongoing.