ReliefWeb: Updates by Country

08.03.2024 11:41 Country: Türkiye Source: European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been affecting southern Türkiye , since 5 March, causing floods and a number of severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage. Media report, as of 8 March, six injured people and several damaged buildings across the Kepez, Konyaalti and Kumluca Districts mainly due to the strong wind. Over the next 24 hours, no more severe weather is forecast over southern Türkiye.

07.03.2024 19:11 Countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye, World Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

07.03.2024 02:10 Countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye Sources: UN Development Programme, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. Regional Situation Overview The Syria crisis, now entering its 14th year, remains one of the largest displacement crises globally, with more than 12 million Syrians forcibly displaced. Within this dire situation, approximately six million Syrian refugees are still hosted by neighbouring countries, amid deteriorating socio-economic and humanitarian conditions. Around nine out of ten Syrian refugees grapple with challenges in meeting their basic needs and more host communities than ever need assistance.1 Syrian refugee hosting countries have shown incredible hospitality for over a decade yet are suffering from layers of crises which have led in some countries to an increasingly challenging protection environment with heightened negative sentiments towards refugees and worryisome pressures for return to Syria. At the same time, international support for Syrian refugee hosting countries is declining. The February earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria have also exacerbated this already dire situation. In Southeast Türkiye, 1.7 million Syrian refugees are among the nine million individuals affected. Additionally, the ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to a significant influx of refugees into Egypt, adding more demand for Egypt’s already stretched resources and public services. The recent hostilities in Gaza add additional challenges in this regard and threaten regional security conditions. A recently published socio-economic impact assessment demonstrates a sharp decline in the Human Development Index , setting the State of Palestine back by between 11 and 16 years, depending on the intensity of the conflict.2 Moreover, regional implications on the war in Gaza can already be observed, with impacts on neighbouring countries’ economies. In countries affected by the Syria crisis, the combination of protracted displacement and ongoing socio-economic challenges has had a devastating impact. In Lebanon, 90% of Syrian refugees now find themselves living in conditions of extreme poverty.3 Food prices have surged by 332% since June 2021, pushing 94% of refugee households to incur debt just to meet their essential needs.4 In Jordan, two-thirds of refugees have reported that their financial situation has worsened in the last 12 months while recent analysis conducted by UNHCR suggests that average household debt can be as high as JOD 1,261 .5 In Türkiye, similar economic challenges, notably high inflation and currency fluctuations, have strained both refugees and host communities. Official figures in September 2023 put inflation at 61.5%, with disproportionate impact on low-income households, especially in transport, food, and housing. The unemployment rate stands at 9.4%, with a notable gender disparity. Host communities are strongly affected too, with unemployment in Lebanon having more than doubled since 2019,6 and unemployment in Jordan remaining at an all-time high at 23%.7 While relative stability in Iraq has presented a unique opportunity for displaced Iraqis, returnees, and refugees to gain greater access to public services and social protection schemes provided by the Government, years of conflict have weakened the capacity and resilience of national institutions, rendering the country vulnerable to further shocks. Refugee returns to Syria continue to remain low, with 38,257 returns verified or monitored by UNHCR from January to the end of December 2023. UNHCR’s latest return intention survey conducted in early 2023 indicated that while a majority of Syrians wish to return one day , only a small number planned on doing so in the next 12 months. Resettlement and complementary pathways remain the most viable durable solution for Syrian refugees who continue to represent the refugee population with the highest global resettlement needs, with over 753,000 Syrian refugees projected to be in need of resettlement in 2024.8 With conditions in Syria not conducive for large-scale voluntary returns in safety and dignity, continued support to key refugee-hosting countries will remain critical to address humanitarian needs, maintain protection space and advance resilience.

06.03.2024 17:10 Country: Türkiye Source: Turkish Red Crescent Society Please refer to the attached file. Abstract In this paper, in response to the question “Who is a humanitarian aid worker?”, the Pazarcık earthquake, which took place in Turkey in February 2023 and was described as the disaster of the century, will be examined. In the aftermath of the Pazarcık earthquake, a survey was conducted with the personnel deployed by the Turkish Red Crescent in the field. The Pazarcık Earthquake Staff Satisfaction Survey was administered to 1,876 Turkish Red Crescent employees working in the field after the earthquake between 01.08.2023-28.08.2023, and responses were received from 689 people. The study was conducted through Microsoft Forms with a 27-question survey method. The research, which provides data on indicators such as unit, gender, age, seniority, disaster experience, service areas, etc., provides a cross-section of the employee profile of the Turkish Red Crescent through the personnel working in the field during the Pazarcık earthquake.

06.03.2024 00:20 Country: Türkiye Source: People in Need It has been more than a year since the earthquakes hit Türkiye and Syria, and with each day, more stories emerge, portraying the impact of the disaster that wiped out not just buildings but dreams and stories, too. "It took 20 days before I could even look at my shop. Our immediate concern was rescuing relatives and mourning our losses," says Emine Çelik, a 46-year-old local entrepreneur and sandwich shop owner in Adiyaman in southern Türkiye. “We lost everything. We were grappling with the lack of basic necessities such as food, water, and electricity, which had kept us warm through the cold weather,” she continues, elaborating on the immediate challenges they faced in the earthquake's aftermath. Emine's world turned upside down when she realised she had lost her livelihood. She found her sandwich shop in ruins, with nothing salvageable but the tables she now uses in her temporary container-based shop. Additionally, Emine's home became a shelter for around 20 people, including relatives and friends who were left homeless, all huddling together in a modest one-bedroom apartment. "We hosted 20 people: close relatives, family, and friends who lost their homes,” she recounts. The earthquake’s impact extended beyond the physical destruction. Emine's son, a first-year art college student with exceptional painting talent, was forced to suspend his studies due to financial constraints that followed the disaster and economic downturn. Solidarity is the key to recovery A year after the earthquake, Emine continues to support her family of four under constrained circumstances, with her former guests having moved to container housing. Nevertheless, Emine remains undeterred and hopeful. "Despite the sorrows and challenges, my outlook is positive. I'm a strong woman, and I will do whatever it takes to support my family and achieve our dreams," she elaborates. She has her eyes set on her family's and business's future. Emine dreams of rebuilding her sandwich shop and expanding into a chain with multiple locations, each featuring her son’s artwork. With the support of People in Need, thanks to funding from D , she took the first steps towards recovery. *“The grant was like medicine for me, a lifeline. It allowed me to purchase the necessary equipment and tools for my shop and the materials needed to make sandwiches. I was able to stand on my feet again,”*she reflects. Thanks to funding, we are supporting affected businesses in Türkiye with cash grants to aid in the recovery of local businesses. "Money is a necessity, but solidarity is the key to recovery,"states Emine, emphasising the collective effort needed for recovery, continuing, *“ the community should stand with and support each other to build our cities and stand on our feet again.” Autor: Muhammet Necip Şağar, PIN's Communication Manager for Northwest Syria and Türkiye

05.03.2024 15:20 Countries: Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye Sources: Protection Cluster, United Nations Population Fund Please refer to the attached files. To be used the Gender-Based Violence Data Management System The humanitarian community has not been able to collect, classify and analyze Gender-Based Violence -related information in a way that produces comparable statistics. At present, it is nearly impossible to compile and analyze data across programs and field sites. This cannot be solved without taking a new approach to how types of GBV are classified. To address this problem, the UN Population Fund , the International Rescue Committee , and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have developed a new GBV classification tool strictly for the purposes of standardizing GBV data collection across GBV service providers. The criteria used to generate the classification tool’s seven types of GBV were: • Universally-recognized forms of gender-based violence • Mutually exclusive • Focused on the specific act of violence; separate from the motivation behind it or the context in which it was perpetrated Each of the definitions below refers to the concept of consent. 2 Consent is when a person makes an informed choice to agree freely and voluntarily to do something. There is no consent when agreement is obtained through: • the use of threats, force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, manipulation, deception, or misrepresentation • the use of a threat to withhold a benefit to which the person is already entitled, or • a promise is made to the person to provide a benefit.

04.03.2024 14:00 Countries: Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. The devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and 7.7 magnitude aftershock, in southeast Türkiye on 22 February 2023 resulted in multiple waves of population displacement, and secondary displacement, both within and outside of the impacted areas. Significant numbers of Turkish nationals and refugee survivors moved on to other provinces, in many cases facilitated by the Government of Türkiye . In the immediate aftermath, several thousands of Syrian refugees benefitted from the GoTR’s offering temporary home visits for refugees from affected provinces. Voluntary returns to Syria continued throughout the year as well, though returns were significantly fewer when compared to the same period in 2022. These movements changed shape and frequency over the months, with many refugees eventually returning to their original provinces of registration and residence within the impact zone. Although heading in different directions, population movement flows were influenced by the similar push and pull factors, illustrating the importance of socio-economic considerations behind intentions and decisions. To better understand the profiles of refugees involved in these population flows, UNHCR carried out surveys and monitoring activities throughout 2023. The findings of which are analysed in the present end-of-year population movement report.

04.03.2024 14:00 Country: Türkiye Source: Agence Française de Développement Située à l’extrémité sud de la Turquie, la province de Hatay est une zone sensible. Bordée par la Syrie, elle fait face depuis de nombreuses années à d’importants mouvements migratoires. En réponse au séisme de février 2023, le groupe AFD finance cinq projets dans le pays. L’un d’eux vise à répondre aux besoins immédiats des populations les plus vulnérables de cette province : citoyens turcs, réfugiés syriens et migrants sans papiers. Ce projet de transition entre réponse d’urgence et intervention durable est porté par Dünya Doktorlari, antenne de Médecins du monde en Turquie. Financé par le dispositif Initiatives OSC de l’AFD avec une subvention de 1,3 million d’euros et via un partenariat avec la Fondation de France à hauteur de 200 000 euros, il consiste en une prestation de services de santé primaire, de protection et d'accompagnement en santé mentale et de soutien psychologique pour les victimes de la catastrophe. Ce projet s’inscrit dans une mobilisation plus globale du groupe AFD en réponse au séisme et fait partie d’un ensemble de cinq projets déployés à cette occasion . Après l’intervention d’urgence, le projet prévoit de s’orienter vers une intervention post-urgence, en passant progressivement le relais aux autorités locales grâce à des formations techniques. Cette deuxième étape vise à renforcer la capacité des acteurs institutionnels et parties prenantes afin d’améliorer la qualité et l’accessibilité aux services de santé des personnes les plus vulnérables . Ce projet mis en œuvre par Dünya Doktorlari, antenne de Médecins du monde en Turquie, s’inscrit dans une mobilisation plus globale du groupe AFD, qui déploie une large palette d’outils pour aider la Turquie dans ses efforts de reconstruction : Deux autres subventions, d’1,3 million d’euros chacune, au bénéfice des ONG MSYD-YSYD et pour renforcer leurs capacités, améliorer l’accès des populations touchées aux soins et services sociaux et rétablir leurs conditions de vie. Un financement de l’AFD de 50 millions d’euros à une banque de développement turque pour appuyer la reconstruction verte post-séisme et contribuer au maintien ou à la création d’emplois dans la zone. Un financement de de 105 millions d’euros à trois banques privées turques, dont , dans le cadre du « Turkey Earthquake Response Program » , un projet de 600 millions d’euros coordonné par la et mené avec plusieurs partenaires, dont la , pour soutenir notamment les PME affectées. Dans le cadre de son programme de formation professionnelle pour l'emploi, « », lancé en 2020 dans le sud de la Turquie, a fourni à 200 entreprises de la région du matériel, des services d'entretien et de réparation, afin de permettre aux entreprises de reprendre leurs activités commerciales et de rétablir les possibilités de formation pour les étudiants en apprentissage. Des colis alimentaires et des kits d'hygiène ont également été distribués à plus de 2 000 familles.