How does The Foreign Affairs Ministry coordinate international earthquake aid in Turkey?

The aid sent to Turkey by more than 75 countries following the earthquake is being organized by the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Coordination and Support Division. This team decides the amount of aid and the locations to which it is dispatched.

Turkey declared a level-four alert shortly after the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on February 6 in Maras. This level of disaster response indicates the need for national and international assistance. Shortly after the announcement of the alert, many countries around the world rolled up their sleeves to deliver aid in the form of search and rescue teams, disaster dogs, tents, financial aid, and food.

The aid sent to Turkey by more than 75 countries is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Coordination and Support Division. This team includes foreign affairs personnel and ambassadors. In addition to the ministry’s staff in Turkey, ambassadors and ministry staff in foreign embassies play an important role in the coordination of aid.

AMBASSADORS AND MINISTRY STAFF COORDINATE THE AID

Since the first day of the earthquake, Turkey received offers of assistance from 102 countries, and thousands of search and rescue teams took part in the efforts on the ground. In the relief efforts carried out with the help of dozens of countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the busiest institution.

International aid is coordinated by the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Coordination and Support Division in Ankara, which employs four ambassadors and 24 personnel. There are four ambassadors and two personnel working in coordination with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). In addition, there are 11 ambassadors and 31 Ministry personnel working alongside them in the earthquake zone. The Ministry’s staff and ambassadors coordinate the areas that fall under the Ministry's responsibility. Ministry personnel in the earthquake area work at airports and AFAD Provincial Coordination Centers. While evaluating the requests, the Ministry works in coordination with AFAD to decide both the area, the amount, and the need for aid.

102 COUNTRIES OFFERED ASSISTANCE, 75 WORKED IN THE EARTHQUAKE ZONE

The level-four alert declared by Turkey was due to the earthquake, so countries sent aid according to needs that could possibly arise as a result of such a natural disaster. In this regard, the first step taken was to dispatch of search and rescue teams, disaster dogs, and necessary equipment to Turkey. Afterwards, many countries organized their aid based on the feedback from their teams on the ground.

Foreign Minister Cavusoglu expressed gratitude for the aid received on February 16. According to Cavusoglu's statement, 102 countries offered aid to Turkey. Search and rescue teams from 88 countries actively worked on the ground. Since then, the teams from 23 countries have left Turkey. While a total of 11,302 people came to Turkey from other countries, 5,377 workers currently remain on the ground.

According to the statement made by the Ministry on February 24, 28 countries have established 31 field hospitals in earthquake zones, while 109,574 tents, 246 containers homes, and 1,500 mobile hygiene units have been brought to Turkey so far. In-kin contributions have been provided in the form of 1,499,207 blankets, 211,839 sleeping bags, 80,824 beds, 26,622 generators, 5,928 tons of clothing, 3,222 tons of medical supplies, and 5,746 tons of food.

ORGANIZATION OF AID FROM FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES

After the earthquake, aid continues to be delivered not only by foreign countries, but also through Turkey's embassies abroad. Foreign affairs personnel working abroad began to send aid to Turkey from their respective embassies. While financial aid was directed to the bank accounts of AFAD, the Red Crescent, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, other donations such as food, medical supplies, and clothing were loaded onto trucks or transported to Turkey on cargo planes. Almost all ambassadors offered directions on how to send aid through their social media accounts and official websites.

While the embassies abroad are the centers for aid collection, the ambassadors working in those countries also conveyed to the relevant authorities what the needs were in terms of aid and informed the relevant unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Turkey about the expected aid.

THE UN AND AID FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS

The United Nations is another organization to apply to in the context of disaster relief. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a statement to the press on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 9. Guterres said that the earthquake in both countries is one of the biggest natural disasters today. Before the session of the UN General Assembly, a 1-minute moment of silence was held for Turkey and Syria. While the sub-organizations of the UN called for help in accordance with their own fields, the UN launched an aid campaign of 1 billion dollars for both countries within a 3-month period. After the earthquakes in Hatay, Guterres said that his heart is with the people of Turkey and Syria and that they are ready to provide additional assistance. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is distributing shelter and emergency supplies, including tents, blankets, mattresses, kitchenware, plastic sheets, sleeping mats, winter clothing and more, for earthquake victims in both Turkey and Syria.

The World Bank also announced that it will provide 1.78 billion dollars of resources. The World Bank announced that $780 million of the allocated funds will be rapidly transferred to the Earthquake, Flood, and Forest Fire Emergency Reconstruction Project and to the Climate and Disaster Resilient Cities Project to be used by municipalities and local governments. The remaining $1 billion will be used for disaster recovery and reconstruction.

The European Union, to which Turkey is in the candidacy process, will hold a donors’ conference on March 16 to help Turkey and Syria. EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said that they expect an "unprecedented" effort and billions of euros to be collected. In addition to the EU, NATO stated that it will deliver 1,000 containers to support Turkey.