In the early hours of Monday February 6, severe earthquakes struck parts of Türkiye and Syria, resulting in the tragic loss of thousands of lives and massive infrastructure damage. 

Following the earthquakes, Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), in collaboration with agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), of which FOCUS is an affiliate, has mobilized rapidly to offer support. Our partner in the region, The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) has taken the lead on the ground and is working closely with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to assess and respond to the emergency.

AKAH’s Search & Rescue Teams have been deployed in AKDN program areas, and FOCUS Canada’s partners have organized the relocation of communities from the affected areas. Community Emergency Response Teams, working with AKAH engineers, are making rapid risk assessments of buildings, including homes, and communicating with households to support their identification of living alternatives as appropriate. Stockpiles of emergency supplies, primarily shelter and hygiene kits, have been readied for transportation as required. AKAH’s international rescue teams in other parts of the world have been placed on standby to deploy if required and requested by the government.

AKAH is working with UNOCHA in the formulation of a joint appeal for resources to respond to the situation. 

Contributions towards our humanitarian response efforts can be made here.



Story updated: February 8, 2023