Spotlight
14 May 2024
Türkiye - Earthquakes trigger largest disaster displacement event of 2023
Türkiye experienced a devastating disaster in February 2023 when two earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 and their aftershocks led to extensive death, destruction and displacement. The epicentres were in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, but other provinces, in particular Adıyaman, Gaziantep and Malatya were also affected. Four million internal displacements were recorded, making it the world’s largest disaster displacement event of the year.
The intensity of the earthquakes, the age of some buildings and noncompliance with construction standards all contributed to the severity of their impacts. Tens of thousands of homes were destroyed and many damaged buildings that were still standing had to be demolished, prolonging displacement for many.
Responding to such a large disaster posed significant challenges and required cross-sector mobilisation and coordination. More than 271,000 rescue personnel and nearly 1.4 million volunteers were deployed to help distribute aid and set up tents, while international emergency teams and the private sector provided financial and technical support. Damage to health and water infrastructure created sanitation issues, and IDPs’ mental health and psychosocial needs increased as they struggled with homelessness, family separation, loss of loved ones, post-traumatic stress and uncertainty about their future.
IDPs’ most pressing need in the immediate aftermath of the disaster was for shelter. The government set up hundreds of thousands of tents and repurposed hotels and public buildings. It also offered rental support and an option to move to container sites. Most people initially chose to receive rental support, but demand for accommodation led to steep price increases. For example, rental costs in Gaziantep rose by 47 per cent between February and April, prompting authorities to introduce a temporary cap on increases in earthquake-affected provinces.
Refugees from Syria were also affected by the earthquakes. Around 12,000 were still living in tents and 3,000 in informal sites as of October 2023. Unemployment, the rising cost of living and disruption of children’s education were some of the main challenges they faced.
Those IDPs in makeshift shelters gradually moved to container cities during the year. This improved their living conditions and access to services, but they are likely to be living in such circumstances for some time, with local authorities estimating that the containers will be in use for at least three years. Extensive reconstruction efforts were ongoing at the end of the year, but around 822,000 people were still living in internal displacement as of 31 December.
To accelerate the response and improve IDPs’ access to assistance and services, the government established an online system to issue temporary identity documents. Türkiye’s Catastrophe Insurance Pool had paid out more than $340 million to policyholders by the end of March. The private sector was also significantly involved in the response. National business federations set up a helpdesk to coordinate offers of in-kind support and provided transport, food and non-food items worth $11 million. Also, the Connecting Business initiative, a joint undertaking by OCHA and UNDP, coordinated offers of support from a wide range of international private sector entities.
The earthquakes’ impacts underscored the need to improve preparedness, continue to invest in retrofitting buildings and making infrastructure more resilient, and apply and enforce building regulations. That said, Türkiye’s extensive experience in disaster risk management helped in the response and recovery efforts. The country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority was key to ensuring that interventions were well coordinated, including via robust data management and local disaster risk reduction policies. These initiatives, and the lessons learned from this major disaster, will help to reduce future disaster displacement risk and support IDPs in achieving durable solutions.
For references and additional information, please see the full report.
