A Day of Disaster & a Year of Challenges

Economic Challenges & Innovation

As the initial shock subsided, the focus shifted to the economic devastation left in the earthquake’s wake. Many businesses were destroyed or severely damaged, and livelihoods vanished overnight.

DRC launched a Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) response in the four provinces, partnering with local stores to ensure access to essential goods to those in need.

Affected families received QR codes on their phones or prepaid cards to make purchases, a move that not only supported displaced families but also injected much-needed cash into the local economy.

Gultekin, a store owner in Kahramanmaraş, shared his experience, noting that he and his partners lost roughly 15m Turkish Liras (approximately 830,000 USD) after products were damaged by the earthquake.

He was able to bring new stock to his store after the earthquake but had an issue with selling them during the first two weeks as people lacked the ability to pay.

In turn, the CVA response helped double Gultekin’s sales, in comparison to the first few weeks post-earthquake.

Restoring Job Markets

The earthquake led to widespread economic disruption, with many individuals losing their jobs and sources of income.

Damage to infrastructure impacted numerous companies and factories, forcing them to either shut down operations or reduce their workforce. Additionally, looting compounded the crisis by interrupting the supply of food items and other essentials.

DRC reached out to those it had been previously supporting prior to the earthquake to understand the effect on their livelihoods and businesses, – with a focus on identifying businesses who could operate again but had lost essential equipment and tools.

Critical support was provided through start-up grants or financial top-ups, enabling individuals to revive their businesses. This support targeted participants of the home-based business (HBB) and Business Development Centres (BDC) projects, ensuring they could navigate the challenging period and work towards economic recovery.

Cash for Work

To mitigate the economic fallout of the earthquake, DRC collaborated with municipalities in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis and Şanlıurfa to implement Cash for Work (CFW) programmes, which became instrumental in providing economic opportunities to impacted refugees and host community members across various sectors.

This included work opportunities under municipal services such as translation, cleaning, farming and water-related jobs.

This initiative served as a temporary lifeline, offering immediate financial relief to individuals awaiting the reopening of factories and the restoration of regular employment opportunities.

Through this, a total of 19,426 individuals were able to secure temporary employment, helping to stabilise their economic circumstances during a critical period of recovery and rebuilding.

Temporary Settlements

In addition to Cash Assistance, temporary settlement support (TSS) was also one of the new interventions [DRC] succeeded in mainstreaming into regular programming, all with minimal capacity building and external support.

In Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, the overwhelming influx of displaced individuals necessitated the establishment of temporary settlements. Many found themselves in makeshift sites lacking essential amenities including electricity and clean water.

To address these conditions, teams from DRC embarked on initiatives to enhance the living standards within these settlements. Efforts included the installation of streetlights to illuminate the areas, the creation of communal spaces equipped with heating systems for warmth, and the deployment of solar panels to supply survivors with free electricity.

These interventions significantly improved safety and liveability, transforming the sites into more habitable environments for the earthquake survivors.

Navigating Legal Challenges

Challenges mounted as numerous institutions and government offices, particularly in Hatay, were either destroyed or ceased operations for three months. This closure severely impacted access to vital information especially for refugees.

Crucial legal updates at both national and provincial levels were inaccessible, leaving many uncertain about where to turn or how to navigate various regulations, such as civil registry processes. Additionally, a significant number of individuals lost essential documents like their Temporary Protection Identification Cards (TPID) in the disaster.

The destruction of homes also forced many to relocate to makeshift sites, complicating address registrations.

The failure of updating address details in the civil registry records would lead to the inactivity of the Temporary Protection Identity Document (TPID), a crucial proof of legal status for Syrian refugees in Türkiye, meaning those without it can no longer benefit from free health services or access Emergency Social Safety Net Card (ESSN), a monthly cash assistance mechanism given to the most vulnerable refugee families in Türkiye.

Furthermore, refugee parents would not be able to enroll their children into the education system, all of which would further exacerbate their already difficult plight.

DRC dispatched its legal teams to survey the legal services still operational in the four impacted provinces where DRC operates, providing relevant information to assist those in need.

Following this, the teams expedited their visits to makeshift settlements, conducting awareness sessions among impacted communities.

They provided crucial information on accessing available services and understanding the newly implemented legal procedures.

The legal team said that a significant number of individuals were uninformed of the updates, noting that the gratitude expressed upon receiving this information was profound.

Furthermore, the legal system faced significant strains and disruptions as numerous court cases were put on hold due to the tragic loss of some lawyers in the earthquake, leaving many feeling uncertain and immobilised.

DRC helped affected populations through the support of its legal officers, or by referring them to organisations providing pro-bono lawyers.

Hotline

Prior to the earthquake, DRC’s protection teams across the four provinces were already operating hotline services to offer refugees legal support, information and interpretation services, especially beneficial for those confronting language barriers.

However, the earthquake significantly amplified these needs. With the disruption caused by the disaster, many found themselves uninformed about updates to Turkish regulations or in dire need of a dependable source of information that is accessible remotely.

Healthcare Accessibility Challenges

Healthcare services, too, were overwhelmed. Hospitals in the hardest-hit areas could not cope with the influx of injuries, complicating matters for those in need of routine or specialised medical care.

In Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, the destruction of hospitals and the absence of transportation compounded the crisis. DRC stepped in to assist a total of 1501 refugees, providing transportation and translation services to help patients access treatment in other provinces.

This effort was particularly vital for individuals with chronic conditions or those, like newborns, who required immediate healthcare services. Travel permits were provided, therefore allowing refugees to receive the treatment needed in other provinces.

One Year On: What Now?

As Türkiye commemorates one year since the earthquake, the landscape of recovery remains fraught with hurdles.

Despite DRC and other organisations’ contributions throughout 2023, cities like Antakya in Hatay are half disappeared and barely functional, while efforts to clear rubble and rebuild continue elsewhere.

The aftermath has left about one million people still displaced in formal and spontaneous settlements, residing in makeshift accommodations such as containers and tents, complicating access to essential services like healthcare.

The reduced frequency of buses and the scarcity of specialised healthcare services further exacerbate the situation.

Legal hurdles also persist, particularly for refugees struggling with address registration updates—a requirement under Turkish law that, if unmet, results in the suspension of critical services and assistance.

Furthermore, most cannot afford to pay skyrocketing rates for rent because of inflation that has overwhelmed the country.  

The job market in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, heavily impacted by the destruction of businesses and an increasing unemployment rate, presents another layer of complexity, especially for vulnerable populations such as widows and adolescents at risk of child labour.

As 2024 unfolds, DRC is redoubling its efforts to address these multifaceted challenges, with a focus on the most vulnerable groups. Yet, as public attention shifts away, maintaining interest and support for the affected regions remains a critical challenge, underscoring the ongoing need for comprehensive and sustained recovery initiatives.