Turkey

Mobilising emergency response in Southern Turkiye following the earthquake

The devastating 2023 earthquake, struck as 18M people slept early on Mon 6^th Feb. The earthquake took 46,000 lives and 1.9M people in Southern Türkiye were left homeless after significant damage to 192K buildings. 

Priority needs include shelter, medical supplies, water, sanitation, food, cash, and psychosocial support.

GOAL already had a significant footprint across Southern Türkiye with 250 staff so it was able to respond immediately to this horrific crisis. GOAL Team started distributing emergency aid including hygiene, dignity and newborn kits, blankets, kitchen sets and solar lamps. 

Ten days after the earthquake Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs sent 100 tonnes of aid via two airlifts to Adana in Southern Türkiye and the GOAL Team was ready to receive. As part of this generous consignment, GOALies were able to distribute tents to 1,700 people in Hatay province and the distribution continues. 

Improved psycho-social support for refugees

Closely linked to our work in Emergency Response, GOAL has worked to address gaps in health service deliver in Southern Turkey.

GOAL also focuses on the protection of vulnerable individuals. This includes the provision of psycho-social support to refugee households to help them build coping strategies in the face of protracted displacement. We also help children relieve their stress by identifying and expressing their emotions, as well as creating stories with successful conclusions. This support extends to their caregivers, with GOAL helping families to identify the symptoms of stress and share coping strategies to manage it.

Following the earthquake the GOAL Team has been providing individual protection assistance to those at significant risk especially already vulnerable adults and children.

Financial resilience during a protracted crisis

GOAL Turkey is looking to increase its programmatic response by focusing on poverty reduction and resilience. This will see GOAL support the creation of market driven livelihoods opportunities for vulnerable households - offering skills development, financial and market support.

Within this, GOAL is looking to increase access to employment opportunities, entrepreneurship and vocational training (through accredited courses). The team will also work to facilitate language and life-skills training, as well as provide mentorship, employability support (CV and application assistance) and guided business registration. This will help displaced populations access the opportunities they need to build financial resilience during, and beyond, this protracted humanitarian crisis.

Protection and Safeguarding

Following the earthquake, GOAL activated an Emergency Information and Assistance Hotline in Southern Türkiye with hundreds of requests coming in for shelter and food.

The GOAL Team has also been providing individual protection assistance to those at significant risk especially already vulnerable adults and children.