Attachments
BACKGROUND AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
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Two further powerful earthquakes of magnitude 6.4 and 5.8 were registered in Hatay Province on 20 February, resulting in 6 deaths and close to 300 people injured, and causing significant damage to already affected buildings. These earthquakes occurred two weeks after the quakes of 7.7 and 7.5 magnitude in Kahramanmaraş Province impacted eleven provinces in Türkiye’s southeast region and neighbouring Syria on 6 February. Over 7,184 aftershocks have been registered in the region since.
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According to the Disaster and Management Authority of Türkiye (AFAD), as of 21 February, 42,310 people have lost their lives, while 448,018 people have been evacuated to other provinces. As of 6 February, a three-month state of emergency is in place in provinces directly affected by the earthquake.
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According to the Minister of National Defence, over 20,000 Syrians have returned to Syria after the earthquake. This figure mostly represents temporary exits to Syria, and mainly to check on family and to attend burials and funerals.
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The Turkish government is leading the response through coordination by AFAD. The Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) and several humanitarian organisations are working alongside AFAD. The Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) is coordinating the response with regards to refugees and asylum-seekers, among others. The Ministry of Family and Social Services is dealing with child protection and psychosocial services.
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As a formal inter-agency coordination structure is being set up, partners, NGOs and UN agencies are meeting on a regular basis to coordinate a response under the guidance of the local authorities and provincial directorates. The results of the first OCHA-led rapid inter-sector needs assessments is being completed and will inform the multi-sector earthquake response.
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The most pressing needs according to the Turkish authorities and preliminary assessments by the humanitarian community are food, hygiene items, tents, containers and clean clothes.
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UNHCR is responding with life-saving core relief items upon the request of the Turkish government. These include mainly emergency shelter materials, tents, blankets, hygiene and kitchen items, and solar lamps.