Disaster And International Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian aid efforts have taken on a dimension that requires international participation

The concept of humanitarian aid may be defined as the support offered to victims of human or natural disasters. The international humanitarian ecosystem involves a wide set of actors that include civil and official stakeholders of the international community, including local neighbourhood associations in the disaster area, international non-governmental organizations, private sector and military structures, and intergovernmental organizations such as the UN and NATO.

Depending on the size of the crisis and the nature of the need, humanitarian aid support is realized through local, national, or international participation. Humanitarian aid activities are planned and carried out in two categories on the basis of long-term support such as the protection of human life in the acute period, and meeting the needs in areas such as shelter, food, health, and so on. Apart from the humanitarian aid activities performed upon the occurrence of disasters and crises, the issue of “disaster preparedness”, which aims to be prepared for disasters and crises and to increase social resilience, is also a significant element on the agenda of humanitarian aid actors.

Depending on the size of the crisis and the nature of the need, humanitarian aid support is realized through local, national, or international participation

Humanitarian aid efforts have taken on a dimension that requires international participation in today’s world, where disasters and complex and protracted crises are experienced simultaneously in various parts of the world, and crises are carried across borders. There are humanitarian crises in which local elements are affected by the disasters, in which the capacity is insufficient, and humanitarian suffering can only be alleviated through international participation. Türkiye is involved in humanitarian aid efforts in such an international atmosphere and has made a name for itself due to its capacity to respond to humanitarian needs in neighbouring and distant lands. Having become “the country that provides the highest amount of aid compared to its gross national product” in recent years, as seen in international reports, our country has become a brand in the field of humanitarian aid, so to speak, through the civil and official institutions it has.

Türkiye’s humanitarian aid efforts in the Balkans, Central Asia, Far East, Africa, and Middle East countries result in a significant amount of added value in these lands. The Turkish Red Crescent, one of the significant humanitarian aid actors in Türkiye, also carries out humanitarian aid activities as an element of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement as an auxiliary to public authorities in
the humanitarian field. The disastrous Kahramanmaraş earthquakes experienced by Türkiye recently, whose effects are still felt, is a significant example of how the international humanitarian ecosystem is mobilized and functioning.

Following the earthquake, as a result of the mobilization of the stakeholders through the “emergency” code, international aid began to be transferred to our country. This was a disaster that required international aid mobilization in terms of financial resources, in-kind aid, and human resources. As a result of the declaration of the disaster as a “level 4 alarm” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye on February 6, 2023, when the earthquake occurred, an official request for international assistance was made. As a matter of fact, according to the Türkiye National Disaster Response Plan (TAMP), the level 4 alarm includes the acceptance of aid from neighbouring countries, besides channelling all national capacity in the response. Following this call made by Türkiye, the stakeholders of the international aid ecosystem also mobilized their own mechanisms. For example, the UN and the Red Cross called on their stakeholders by declaring Call for Aid.

Having resulted in a large population becoming in need of humanitarian aid, the “disaster of the century” was recorded as a huge disaster that required all official and non-governmental stakeholders of the humanitarian aid ecosystem to take action in areas such as search and rescue, medical care, burials, shelter, food, health, debris removal, reconstruction, etc. Following the calls for help and the earthquake disaster becoming the agenda of the international public, foreign states, international non-governmental organizations, private companies, individuals/public, and other stakeholders mobilized their aid for the earthquake region from the first day of the earthquake.

As a result of the declaration of the disaster as a “level 4 alarm” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, an official request for international assistance was made

The support from abroad was basically in the form of sending professional personnel and equipment, especially in search and rescue, and healthcare and sending donations in-kind and in cash. The visits made to the region by the representatives of the state and international organizations were also significant advocacy activities with the purpose of conveying the dimensions of the disasters experienced in the region to the international stakeholders and creating public awareness. As a result of the disaster of the century, regardless of the current political relations, many countries from any part of the world showed wide-participant support. This support came from a broad ground spreading from states to societies. The people with whom Türkiye established relations through diplomacy, cultural, and humanitarian diplomacy activities have also stood by our country against the disaster of the century. In consideration of the extent of the destruction experienced in our country, it is foreseen that international aid needs to be maintained and that the funds from abroad will contribute greatly to the rehabilitation and restructuring stages.