Cyandra Carvalho for IFRC Turkiye Country Delegation
Executive Summary
Background
On 6 February 2023, Türkiye experienced devastating earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, claiming the lives of over 53,000 individuals, including at least 7,300 Syrian refugees, injuring 108,272, and forcing over 3 million to leave their homes. Initial efforts targeted urgent needs such as shelter, food, and psychosocial support for over 1.7 million people. Over time, the focus shifted to recovery efforts, including restoring livelihoods, providing mental health services, and implementing long-term housing solutions.
The IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal with a Federation-wide funding goal of CHF 750 million (CHF 400 million requested by the Secretariat) to support essential interventions for 1.75 million individuals. Despite challenges, the partnership between the IFRC and the Turkish Red Crescent has ensured sustained assistance for vulnerable communities, emphasizing resilience-building and long-term recovery. A brief overview of the operation in numbers can be found in the figure below:
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The primary objective of the Lessons Learned workshop was to document the key outcomes, achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from the earthquake response operation in Türkiye. The workshop report will serve as a valuable resource for the IFRC and Turkish Red Crescent to highlight the operational process, provide reflections about the operation, and convey actionable recommendations to improve resilience-building and emergency response in future operations. Findings from this workshop will also feed into the Final Evaluation of the Earthquake Emergency Appeal.