UNDP launches new initiatives to support quake-hit Türkiye's recovery efforts

By Tuba Ongun

ANKARA (AA) – The UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced Tuesday that it has launched a range of new initiatives to expand support to the socio-economic recovery of Türkiye's earthquake-hit southern region.

The move came on the first anniversary of the devastating twin earthquakes that hit 11 provinces in southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, leaving 53,537 people dead and 3.3 million homeless.

The initiatives include the establishment of a women’s entrepreneurship center in Kahramanmaras, the creation of a regional center for prostheses and other assistive devices for people with disabilities in Malatya, and the opening of two “accessible community centers” for the elderly and disabled in Adiyaman and Hatay, according to a statement.

"We stand in solidarity with the affected communities and reaffirm our commitment to support recovery efforts," UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton said in the statement.

Vinton met with earthquake survivors during a week-long visit to the four most affected provinces to commemorate the first anniversary of the disaster.

The new UNDP initiatives are part of a $50 million program focused on restoring care services for vulnerable groups, reviving livelihoods and business activity, improving municipal management of waste and earthquake debris, and protecting and restoring endangered cultural heritage.

"UNDP has contributed many tangible improvements, but we recognize that full recovery of the region requires a commitment of years," Vinton said.

- Reviving livelihoods

Swedish-funded $10 million program of “earthquake recovery grants,” seen as the centerpiece of UNDP socioeconomic efforts, awarded to 4,616 small businesses across the 11 most affected provinces, the UNDP's office in Türkiye said in a press release.

It said the program attracted 23,648 applications and helped them generate a "trickle-up" effect designed to catalyze a wider economic revival.

The UN development agency said it has provided vocational training to more than 1,200 earthquake survivors, offering more than 40 short courses in high-demand sectors, such as foreign trade, culinary arts, software-driven carpet design, welding, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) operation, and call-center staffing.

As the earthquakes both disrupted the provision of care services for the elderly, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, as well as leaving many thousands of people with new disabilities and millions with lasting trauma, the UNDP, in collaboration with the UK fund, partnered with municipalities to build and equip "accessible community centers" in Adiyaman, Hatay, and Kahramanmaras, according to the agency.

The UNDP said it worked with the Family and Social Services Ministry to construct, equip, and staff centers providing rehabilitation for the elderly and disabled in the container cities in Adiyaman and Kahramanmaras.

With funding from Korea, the UNDP launched work in Malatya on Feb. 5 to establish a center for the production of orthopedic and prosthetic devices and expand the existing regional center for wheelchair and other assistive device repair, the agency said.

With funding from Croatia, UNDP said it is currently rebuilding an elementary school in Hatay with a focus on creating a model for inclusive education, with additional schools to be refurbished in Adiyaman, Kahramanmaras, and Malatya to ensure that children with disabilities can attend alongside their peers.

- Improving waste and debris management

The collapse of buildings due to the earthquakes created a huge volume of debris, UNDP is currently procuring the equipment for model rubble recycling facilities to be built in Hatay, Kahramanmaras, and Malatya thanks to funding from Japan and Kuwait, the agency said.

The UNDP said it supplied more than $3 million in waste management equipment and other urgent supplies to the most affected municipalities.

- Protecting endangered cultural heritage

In a bid to help protect endangered cultural heritage in the region, the UNDP delivered containers to archeology museums to house precious artifacts. Cameras and drones were also supplied to aid in the documentation of damaged cultural heritage assets, the agency said.

According to the UNDP, the cost of the disaster-related cultural heritage restoration was estimated at over $2 billion, therefore launched a global crowdfunding campaign with the slogan 'Save the Legacy' on 8 December 2023 and secured $4 million to date.