In 2023, the Center for Environmental and Social Development (CESD) made a financial donation to SAR YARDIMLASMA DERNEGI in Turkey in the amount of US$3,771, as urgent assistance for those affected by the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, 2023.
This donation came at an especially harsh human moment, after the earthquake caused widespread destruction in several Turkish cities, foremost among them Antakya in Hatay Province, in addition to catastrophic damage across large parts of northern Syria, where local communities and displaced Syrians were already suffering from the effects of war, weak infrastructure, poverty, and heavy reliance on humanitarian aid.
In Turkey, the earthquake was one of the most powerful natural disasters in the country’s modern history. A 7.8-magnitude quake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, followed by other strong aftershocks, leading to the collapse of thousands of buildings, the displacement of large numbers of residents, and the destruction of entire neighborhoods. The World Bank estimated direct physical damage in Turkey at around US$34.2 billion, noting that the cost of recovery and reconstruction would be far greater and could reach twice that amount. The World Bank also explained that the earthquake affected 11 southern provinces home to about 14 million people.
Hatay, especially the city of Antakya, was among the most heavily affected areas. Large parts of the city were reduced to rubble, and residential buildings, public facilities, markets, and historical and religious sites were damaged, reflecting the scale of the disaster that struck an ancient city long home to diverse Turkish and Syrian communities. Later reports indicated that Hatay was among the hardest-hit provinces, and that the impact of the earthquake there was not only material, but also included the fragmentation of neighborhoods, the displacement of residents, and the loss of homes and livelihoods for thousands of families.
In Syria, the earthquake struck amid an already existing humanitarian disaster. In northern Syria, millions of people were living in conditions of displacement, poverty, and aid dependence before the earthquake occurred. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the earthquake affected at least 8.8 million people inside Syria, in a country where about 15.3 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance before the disaster. This means the earthquake did not create a new crisis only, but compounded a human tragedy that had extended over years of war.
International reports documented tens of thousands of casualties in Turkey and Syria, in addition to large numbers of injured and missing persons, and the collapse or damage of hundreds of thousands of buildings. The United Nations also noted that thousands of buildings had collapsed, leaving large numbers of people exposed in the open, amid winter cold, a lack of shelter, and difficulty accessing food, medicine, and healthcare.
Within this context, the donation from the Center for Environmental and Social Development to SAR YARDIMLASMA DERNEGI came as an urgent humanitarian duty toward the affected, especially Syrian and Turkish families that suddenly found themselves facing the loss of home, safety, and basic possessions. Although the donation amount was limited compared with the scale of the disaster, its importance lies in the fact that it was a rapid and direct response at a moment of acute need, and it aligned with the center’s mission of supporting vulnerable communities affected by crises and disasters.
This support represented a modest but necessary humanitarian contribution, intended to back urgent relief efforts and ease part of the suffering of families affected by the earthquake in Turkey and northern Syria. It also reaffirms the Center for Environmental and Social Development’s commitment to acting, within its means, when vulnerable communities are exposed to disasters that threaten their lives, dignity, and stability.
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