Korean Red Cross

KNRC EARTHQUAKE OPERATIONS IN TÜRKIYE & SYRIA 

SITUATIONAL OVERVIEW

On the 6th of February 2023, Southeast Türkiye was hit by two devastating earthquakes 

measuring 7.8 in Pazarcik and 7.6 in Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş. 

The initial quake stood as the most powerful ever recorded in Türkiye since 1939, 

with its seismic impact extending to Northwest Syria.

As reported by the Government of Türkiye (GoT), the tragic events resulted in the loss of more than 50,700 lives, 

including 7,300 refugees, and the injuries of 107,000 individuals. 

The catastrophic disaster left a trail of destruction, impacting over 310,000 buildings and affecting approximately 9.1 million 

people residing in over 11 provinces in Southeast Türkiye.

The deadly earthquakes also affected 5 governorates in the northern and coastal regions of Syria which are Aleppo, Latakia,

Tartus, Hama, and Idlib. According to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), 5,760 people were killed, 11,700 people injured,

and over 2 million people were profoundly affected as a result of the earthquakes.

As of December 2023, there are still more than 800,000 people living in containers cities and tents in Türkiye 

and over 4 million people, including those already impoverished by a decade-long armed conflict, in Syria, 

in transitional and perpetual need of humanitarian assistance.

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KNRC RESPONSE

In the wake of the devastating earthquakes that struck both Türkiye and Syria, 

the Republic of Korea National Red Cross (KNRC) initiated its emergency response operations 

to support those affected populations in close coordination and collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC), SARC, 

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 

and The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Immediately after the earthquakes, KNRC allocated a fund from its pooled International Emergency Response Fund (IERF) 

to meet the urgent needs of disaster victims while launching a nationwide campaign to mobilize resources 

for further emergency relief and recovery operations.

Simultaneously, KNRC deployed its rapid assessment and response teams to the affected areas in order to identify the needs 

and vulnerabilities of affected populations and to scale up its humanitarian support to the affected communities 

in collaborative and coordinated efforts with host National Societies and relevant partners.

Since the establishment of its Delegation Office in Türkiye in April, KNRC has expanded its operational scopes and scales 

through an integrated multi-sectoral approach, combining food and nutrition, transitional shelter, livelihood, capacity building, 

health and medical services, community services, and blood services.