2-YEAR REPORT:
TÜRKİYE-SYRIA EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
SUMMARY
More than two years after the February 2023 earthquakes, Hatay continues to face significant humanitarian challenges, affecting both refugee and host communities. Many families remain in overcrowded container cities with inadequate sanitation, exacerbating health risks and the spread of communicable diseases. The destruction of healthcare facilities and the loss of medical personnel have severely restricted access to essential health services, including mental health support. Protection concerns persist, with post-earthquake trauma and lack of proper housing escalating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) risks. Unregistered refugees face deportation risks and limited access to legal and social services.
Humanitarian operations also encountered regulatory hurdles, with stringent permissions and coordination requirements affecting aid delivery.
In Northwest Syria (NWS), years of conflict, economic collapse, and the 2023 earthquake have left the health infrastructure in critical condition. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with severe shortages of medical supplies, personnel, and funding. By the end of 2024, the Humanitarian Response Plan was underfunded by 65%, leaving millions of conflicts and earthquake-affected individuals deprived of essential services, which included internally displaced persons (IDPs) in IDP camps and tented settlements.
Although the political shift that was characterized by the former government’s overthrow in December brought some stability to the region, displacement surged due to increased hostilities – which continues to be the case in northern Aleppo region and Northeast Syria (NES). Meanwhile, unexploded ordnance threatens civilian life on a daily basis, impeding them from travelling and accessing essential services. A compound of hostilities, funding cuts and depleted resources significantly challenged the health sector and restricted health access for vulnerable communities, particularly in areas of maternal and reproductive health.
In Hatay, primary healthcare (PHC) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) screenings, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), protection services, and awareness sessions were delivered through a safe space in Antakya and mobile units reaching hard-to-access rural areas such as Samandağ, Altınözü, Defne, Reyhanlı and Kırıkhan.
In some locations, MdM Türkiye remained the sole provider of essential healthcare and protection services for earthquake-affected populations. In 2024, the organization provided a total of 34,957 services to 13,522 unique beneficiaries in Hatay.
In NWS, MdM Türkiye played a critical role in addressing the severe gaps in healthcare and protection services caused by ongoing conflict and underfunding.
