The Situation
On 6 February, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck southern Türkiye at 4:17 am. This is Türkiye's most powerful earthquake recorded since 1939. At least 78 aftershocks have been reported followed by a second earthquake of 7.5 magnitude at 13:24 with the epicenter in Ekinozu/Kahramanmaras province. Tremors were reportedly felt in Gaziantep and neighboring provinces. The Government of Türkiye has since issued a Level 4 alarm, calling for international assistance.
The earthquake also heavily impacted north-west Syria, a region where 4.1 million people depend on humanitarian assistance today. The majority are women and children. At this time, Syrian communities are simultaneously hit with an on-going cholera outbreak and harsh winter events including heavy rain and snow over the weekend.
Click here to view the live dashboard with direct links to daily reports.
The Response
Some implementing nutrition partners have suspended operations in nutrition facilities and activated the Rapid Response Team (RRT) modality to provide services to affected population – distributing High Energy Biscuits, micronutrients, preventive supplies as fortified spread and providing individual counselling for mothers on breastfeeding during difficult circumstances.
The Turkish Red Crescent is responding to nutrition in Türkiye by providing mobile kitchens and catering trucks to respond to nutritional needs of those affected. To support TRC efforts, please click here to learn more and donate.
Deactivation of L3 emergency classification
Activating a Level 3 (L3) CEAP for the earthquake emergency facilitated and enabled a concentrated, institution-wide response—encompassing urgent resource mobilization, logistical, and surge capabilities. The scale-up reinforced the Syria Country Office and the cross-border team's capacity substantially for humanitarian interventions. The Syrian Government recently granted permission for UN agencies to use the Bab al-Hawa border crossing for six months and extended their permission to use the Bab al-Salam and al-Rai border crossings until 13 November 2023. These developments lay the legal foundation for UNICEF and the United Nations to undertake cross-border humanitarian operations from Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations in northwest Syria. Due to UNICEF's extensive presence and experience in Syria as well as its large network of partners, they continue to deliver humanitarian assistance to millions of children and their families throughout the country.
Following a careful review of the Level 3 criteria—scale, complexity, urgency, and capacity—and in alignment with the IASC's recommendation, the Level 3 CEAP for Syria has been deactivated, effective from 31 August 2023.
Resources
Tools for affected populations
Whole of Syria Country Page - GNC website
TEMAS - online system set up to pair mothers with a lactation consultant online across Türkiye
EQ Reliefweb - with up to date information, including the most recent flash appeals
Earthquake response Dashboard
Joint Statement - WoS (Arabic & English)
Nutrition Cluster Reliefweb page - All Nutrition cluster related information
