EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Immediately following the devastating February 6 earthquakes which affected 9.1 million people in 11 provinces, causing 50,783 deaths, our emergency teams were in the disaster area. We supported lives to ensure people affected from the disaster primarily in Hatay, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya could access core needs and services.
In the scope of our humanitarian operation we shape per needs assessment, we provided services to people living in both informal shelter areas settings in rural areas and formal tent and container settlements.
We prioritized ensuring correct and reliable flow of information from emergency response operation areas and increasing our support capacity. In 2023, we prepared a total of 28 emergency reports. on needs in the earthquake area, the general state in the region, and our humanitarian responses.
We supported 925,591 lives affected from the disaster with our multidimensional activities in the earthquake area.
WATER, SANITATION, HYGIENE & CORE NEEDS SUPPORT
Regarding humanitarian response, actions to ensure access to and hygiene of clean water in disaster area described as ‘WASH’ was our focus point in emergency response operations after the earthquake.
We established water tanks, mobile toilets and shower units, water purification systems that turn water for use into drinkable water, chlorination devices, and served with mobile laundries.
In addition, we established hygiene committees where people living in shelter areas where we install hygiene equipments; organized information sessions on cleaning measures.
Water Tanks
212
Number of Distributions
179,600
Number of Accessed People
Toilet and Shower Units
461
Number of Distributions
16,420
Number of Accessed People
Water Purification Systems
16
Number of Distributions
9,251
Number of Accessed People
Chlorination Units
21
Number of Distributions
46,774
Number of Accessed People
Mobile Laundries
42
Number of Distributions
86,234
Number of Accessed People
Personal Hygiene Packages
44,738
Number of Distributions
214,859
Number of Accessed People
Family Cleaning Hygiene Packages
19,245
Number of Distributions
96,225
Number of Accessed People
Dignity Packages
14,511
Number of Distributions
14,511
Number of Accessed People
Drinking Water (Liters)
76.729
Number of Distributions
25.576
Number of Accessed People
Hygiene Committees
7
Komite
48
Number of Accessed People
In order to improve the shelter conditions in the disaster area, we distributed tents, blankets, beds, sleeping bags, kitchen utensils, stoves and pallets, suitable for different needs and seasonal conditions.
We produced special solutions especially for the needs in rural areas. We distributed animal feed to support livelihoods of farmers.
Tents
1,137
Number of Distributions
5,685
Number of Accessed People
Blankets
3,177
Number of Distributions
3,177
Number of Accessed People
Beds
1,571
Number of Distributions
Sleeping Bags
571
Number of Distributions
Kitchen Packages
7,297
Number of Distributions
36,485
Number of Accessed People
Food Packages
4,985
Number of Distributions
24,925
Number of Accessed People
Animal Feed (bag)
93
Number of Distributions
56
Number of Accessed People
“We were previously providing our water from artesian sources. Support to Life team came and met our needs. Our work became much easier. We were relieved to use water that we knew was clean and safe. We use this water to wash hands and face, dishes, fruits and vegetables, but we do not drink it. We appreciate everyone who contributed.”
Nuray, Hatay
MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
Our mobile mental health and psychological support (MHPSS) teams composed of psychologist, psychosocial support worker, and social workers supported lives of children and adults in both mobile activity units such as caravans and containers and fixed tents, from rural areas to container towns.
In the first months of the earthquake, in addition to the psychosocial support sessions we conducted to contribute to children's well-being, we adapted the ‘Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program’ (AGEP) and the ‘Adolescent Boys Empowerment Program’ (ABEP) for children in the disaster area.
Within the scope of our programmes supporting academic and psychosocial life skills, we distributed support materials to children and supported their lessons.
We organized psychoeducation sessions for adults. We explained ways to reduce the effects of trauma and maintain well-being. We provided psychological counseling services for adults.
Psychosocial Support Activities
33,246
children
Individual Psychological Support
1,060
adults
Psychosocial Support Packages
7,732
children
Psycho Trainings
3.097
adults
Mentorship Support
2,593
adults
“I never got used to the container city. I had problems of belonginess. Sometimes I am very strong and at other times I feel very weak. I like being by myself very much but there is no such space here. I needed to talk. Talking to psychologist of Support to Life felt very well.” Zekiye, Kahramanmaraş
PROTECTION
We supported children and adults identified to be at risk in the disaster area; we conducted individualised protection interventions.
We adapted the information sessions we conducted on different topics regarding access to fundamental rights to disaster conditions and organized information sessions on topics such as post-earthquake entitlement and access to social assistance.
Information Sessions
36,622
adults
Individualized Protection Interventions
2,495
adults
2,254
children
Access to Education
1,408
children
Legal Support
506
adults
250
children
ACCESS TO LIVELIHOOD
In addition to our grant and in-kind support programs towards cooperatives and small enterprises, we organized vocational training programs such as tailoring.
Cooperative Support
13
cooperatives
225
people
Vocational Trainings
64
people
‘Local-Led Empowerment’ in Disaster Zone
We have extended our 'Local-Led Empowerment' programme, which we launched in 2022, to the disaster area.
We provided micro-grant support to projects of local people that come together as a community following the disaster and create their interventions and solutions. In the program we run in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman and Malatya which were the most severely affected from the earthquake, we contributed to emergence of programs that local people determined based on their own needs, that target early recovery, repair, and increasing earthquake resilience.
In our support program we started to increase capacities of non-governmental organizations active in the disaster region as another pillar of localization, we pursued a micro-grant program specific to organizations that conduct monitoring and reporting specific to humanitarian needs in the disaster region.
Strength Under Local Leadership Micro Grant
96
projects
210
people that implement projects
Micro Grant Support for NGOs
4
NGOs