February 6, 2025, marks two years since a series of earthquakes struck southern Türkiye and northwest Syria. Across the most severely affected regions, millions of people remain displaced, facing severe winter conditions and immense challenges in rebuilding their lives.
“Across the hardest-hit provinces of Türkiye — Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Malatya, and Gaziantep — over 200,000 families still living in container sites, makeshift and damaged shelters need winterization support against rain, cold, and flooding. Syrian refugees are particularly vulnerable, often finding themselves in the most under-resourced shelters that lack even basic amenities like showers and electricity,” said Rishana Haniffa, Country Director at CARE Türkiye. “Two years on, Hatay, the hardest-hit province, still resembles a massive construction site, with debris removal, building demolitions, water shortages, power cuts, and transportation disruptions compounding daily struggles.”
The region’s overall socio-economic decline, coupled with the disaster’s impact, has deepened poverty, with 83% of affected individuals reporting worsened financial circumstances[i]. The earthquake zone, already one of Türkiye’s most economically disadvantaged areas and one of its most important agricultural regions, has seen GDP per capita drop by nine per cent. Informal employment, especially among Syrian refugees, has left many without stable incomes or access to social safety nets.
CARE spoke to some women taking a leading role in finding ways for their families and communities to overcome the many challenges. Resourceful and determined, they are clear about what they need to build a future for themselves and their children that is no longer dependent on aid. Rana*, a 33-year-old refugee in Türkiye and single mother of seven children said:
“Every time I go out to buy something, I find the prices have risen beyond what I can afford. Our rent is very high, all our household items are worn out and I only have a few kitchen utilities, not enough to prepare even a small meal. Our future remains uncertain and full of challenges. The humanitarian assistance we received immediately after the earthquakes helped people meet our immediate needs, but it should not be the end. We need more sustainable solutions, job opportunities and education for our children.”
Mona fled Aleppo with her five children in 2012 and now lives in a tiny apartment in Iskenderun.
“Two years after the earthquakes, we still need job opportunities and more long-term investment in the people and all the affected communities here in Türkiye. Our children need quality education. I’m not asking for the impossible. I just want an opportunity for a dignified life for my children. They must go to school without fear and feel safe in their home. We need the world to stand by us to help us build a better future wherever we are,” she said.
Across the border in northwest Syria, the earthquakes of 2023 added more pain, loss and destruction to livelihoods already ravaged by years of war. In the past two years, several of the most affected governorates, such as Aleppo and Idleb, home to thousands of internally displaced populations, have faced constant shortages of food and water, continued inflation in food prices, regular escalations of hostilities, and unprecedented funding cuts. While hope for a better future has now returned to Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime in early December 2024, the reality is that the long-awaited early recovery and reconstruction of Syria will take years, the humanitarian needs remain immense, and it will take time for people be able to safely return.
When asked about the possibility of returning to Syria after the drastic changes the country saw in December 2024, Rana said: “I surely dream of going back one day. But returning requires safety and homes to live in. Most of our houses in Syria are destroyed, and everything we need to live a normal life is beyond our reach. So, for now, we cannot just return.”
In 2024 CARE Türkiye supported more than 3 million men, women and children in earthquake-affected and displaced communities in Türkiye and in northwest Syria through partnerships with leading Syrian NGOs. Our work focused on providing food, water, cash assistance, protection services, house rehabilitation support, and help for small businesses to recover. Despite these efforts, millions fear being left behind without additional humanitarian funding.
“The path to recovery after the catastrophic earthquakes of 2023 is still long, and we are at a critical juncture. Without sustained support from international donors, many of the communities we serve risk being left without essential assistance. As we reach this anniversary, families will be left vulnerable to harsh winter conditions and prolonged hardship without additional humanitarian aid. On this somber anniversary, CARE calls on international donors to renew their commitment and invest in long-term and sustainable recovery efforts in Türkiye and Syria”, said Haniffa.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
*Rana and Mona receive cash assistance from CARE in Türkiye, through a project funded by the European Union, aiming to support the most vulnerable families among those affected by the earthquakes of 2023 in Türkiye.
[i] International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Türkiye/Syria: Earthquake Emergency Appeal No. MDRTR004. Operational Update No. 7, 2023, https://reliefweb.int/attachments/563a1697-cf0d-438b-97c0-62cac04da190/MDRTR004ou7.pdf.
[DV1]source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Türkiye/Syria: Earthquake Emergency Appeal No. MDRTR004. Operational Update No. 7, 2023, https://reliefweb.int/attachments/563a1697-cf0d-438b-97c0-62cac04da190/MDRTR004ou7.pdf.https://reliefweb.int/report/turkiye/turkiye-earthquakes-operation-update-7-emergency-appeal-no-mdrtr004-06122024
That’s combined number for both TUR and NWS reach in 2024
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About CARE International
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources, women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. In 2024, CARE worked in 121 countries, reaching 53 million people through 1,450 projects. To learn more, visit www.care-international.org
About CARE Australia
CARE Australia supports women around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We work in partnership with local communities to provide equal opportunities for women that they have long been denied: the ability to earn an income, gain access to their fair share of resources, to lead and participate in decisions that affect their lives, and to be able to withstand the increasing impacts of climate disasters and other crises. www.care.org.au
