Türkiye

On February 6, 2023, magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria, causing widespread destruction across 91,000 square miles and affecting the 23 million people who call that region home. Global Communities immediately activated our teams on the ground to prepare a response while also supporting the safety of our staff and their families.

In Türkiye, the earthquakes and thousands of resulting aftershocks left more than 2 million people displaced, and a death toll of more than 50,000. The Government of Türkiye reported more than 520,000 collapsed or heavily damaged buildings, which caused more than 1 million people to live in government shelters and temporary sites. Thousands more had to set themselves up in informal sites with even fewer facilities and support.

Global Communities partnered with the Government of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) to procure and distribute temporary shelters for displaced families in southeast Türkiye. Eighty tents and 35 prefabricated caravans — complete with a kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms — provided short-term safe and habitable housing for affected families until their homes could be repaired or they could secure alternative long-term housing.