1|PageIntroduction and background
About us:Doctors of the World (DoTW) Türkiye/Médecins du Monde (MdM) Türkiye is registered as DünyaDoktorları Derneği (DDD). DoTW is a Türkiye-based humanitarian non-governmental organization thatfacilitates access to healthcare for populations affected by armed conflict, violence, natural disasters,disease, famine, poverty and exclusion.
DoTW collaborates with partners and key stakeholders to implement projects that facilitate access toprimary and secondary healthcare services and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services
to respond to the medical needs of the affected populations.
DoTW is the 16th member of the Doctors of the World (Médecins du Monde) International Network thatis committed to meeting the health needs of vulnerable people globally. DoTW also has years ofexperience safely providing access to health care and support to vulnerable populations in Türkiye and inSyria in collaboration with local and national authorities and in coordination with other humanitarian
actors.

Context
On the night of February 6, 2023, at 4:17 a.m. local time, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye andSyria resulting in more than 50,000 deaths in both countries at the time of this report. Türkiye hasannounced a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces worst affected by the earthquake. Thismarks the most powerful earthquake recorded in Türkiye since 1939. The quake was followed by 78
aftershocks, and it hit the region a second time in the afternoon on the 6th of February at 13:24 p.m. witha magnitude of 7.6 in Ekinozu/Kahramanmaras province. Another 6.4 earthquake hit Defne and Samandağdistricts in Hatay on February 20. More than 15 million people are affected. In Syria, at least 8,000 people(4,400 in NWS) are reported dead as of 20 February with the majority of victims recorded in Aleppo, Hama,Latakia and Tartous. In Türkiye, the authorities count more 46,000 are dead. More than a thousandbuildings have completely collapsed, raising fears of even higher human losses.

2|Page3|PageDoTW Türkiye Response
DoTW has been working in Hatay since 2016. It’s cross-border office for ongoing Northwest Syria healthoperations is based in Antakya which has allowed it to quickly mobilize emergency response in Hatay. Withother actors, DoTW had also served displaced Syrians in Hatay from 2016 to 2019, directly providing PHC
services through its doctors, PSS services, and PRT (Physical Rehabilitation Services). Its mobile medical
teams (MMTs) arrived in the affected region on the night of February 6 to start providing emergency
response.
Hatay and Antakya are still extremely hard to reach. The vast majority of the city and buildings aredestroyed, blocking roads. Some roads have been completely destroyed in the earthquake. There is noelectricity, therefore the city is in darkness at night and the weather condition is unbearably cold. People,including our staff, are sleeping in the freezing cold. A number of collective tent sites are currently being
established throughout the city. Regardless, even within the tents there is a high need for heaters. MoreNGOs are launching responses in Hatay such as CARE, Concern, Danish Refugee Council, and ACTED, amongothers.
The Antakya district, in particular, has been widely evacuated, with the remaining inhabitants relocating
to designated tent sites managed by AFAD. The excessive buildup of dust in the city has reached levels
that jeopardize the health of the public. However, residents in other districts remain steadfast in their
desire to remain in their homes. The continuing aftershocks in the region pose a significant threat toindividuals, as they continue to experience the traumatic impact of the initial earthquake. Additionally, thecontamination of water sources poses a significant risk of waterborne illnesses.
DoTW’S mobile medical teams (MMT)
are already on the ground and based in
Hatay including Antakya city, Defne,
Samandağ, Reyhanlı, and Atlınözü. Themobile service modality will allow forserving the most vulnerable and hard-toreach in all districts of Hatay.
DoTW is the leading health andprotection NGO working in Hatay
earthquake response. It has been madethe lead agency for the Health Working
Group, the MHPSS Working Group andthe Protection Working Group in Hatay.
The Turkish MoH has issued a directivethat health certified NGOs like DotW
can provide health care services andmedication in earthquake affectedareas.
As of now, DoTW is providing first aidresponse, health screening, medication Figure 1. DoTW doctors providing consultations
distribution, psychological first aid fortrauma, and in the process of creating safe spaces.
4|PageDoTW mobile medical teams working in urban and rural areas of Hatay providing health consultations andpsychological services. Each team is comprised of a physician, a midwife, a clinical psychologist, a nurse, acase worker, PSS Officer, and Protection Officer. These mobile teams offer on-site assistance on a tent-totent basis in areas where governmental and other aid entities are unable to provide services. Inter-groupreferrals are made based on the needs of the recipients.
DoTW has also set-up WASH and safe spaces where primarily women and children will be able to come,receive individual and group counselling, use laundry rooms, showers, and receive food. DoTW’s teams
are providing information sessions and kits to prevent the mentioned illnesses.

Figure 2. DoTW Psychologists providing PSS support to displaced children.

Purpose of the report and Data collection methodology
This report aims to collate the findings of various reports released regarding the post – disaster situationin Antakya, Defne and Samandağı as the central and surrounding districts of Hatay province.
A survey questionnaire tool is conducted to capture the extent the basic needs are met and the mostpressing needs. The questionnaire also aimed to capture narrative feedback, where relevant.

Demographics of the sample
DoTW Türkiye interviewed 77 quake – affected community members in more than 10 sub – districts ofAntakya, Defne and Samandağı districts. 75% of the sample consists of females and 25% are males.
74% of the respondents are adults (aged between 18 and 50) and 26% are elderly.
5|PageWhile the respondents are largely either married or single, widow or separated female respondents arealso reached. Infographic 1 can be seen for the detailed information about the sample.

Figure 3. Demographic of respondents

Figure 4. Respondents with damaged shelter

6|Page

The Main findings
Access to shelter, heating, and winter clothing
As indicated from a modest size sample, the shelter assistance is almost not existing and the shelter
conditions of the communities are very poor that 38% reported residing outdoor anywhere in theirneighbourhoods, 11% in vehicles and another 11% in gardens of the houses. Only 23% reported residing
in a tent and only one respondent reported staying in a container that is private and not provided by state
or non – state actors. In line with the shelter conditions, the need for heating is also immense, which isvoiced by almost all respondents. Similarly, the need for winter clothing is immense considering the winterconditions that the temperature decreases up to minus 10 in the night-time (see infographic -5).

Figure 5. The extent to which basic needs are met, perception of safety, death of family members and having family members
under the wreckage and having family members dead and/or waiting to be rescued.

7|PageMental health and psychosocial support
The effect of the quakes on the communities is indescribable, considering the high death tolls, which isindicated within the sample that 35% of the respondents reported having at least one family member diedand 45% reported having family members waiting to be rescued. While the sample does not include
adolescents and children, almost all the respondents reported the need of PSS and child friendly spacesfor children.

Figure 7. The psychological effects of the quakes on the communities

Among a modest sample, considerable rate of the community members reported symptoms of
psychological distress and shock due to the traumatic experience. Tendency to be isolated or to avoid
being alone, tendency to burst into tears or to have burst of rage or impatience are reported. All
respondents reported having changes in their appetite and 96% reported their sleeping patterns changed.
Having nightmares and/or involuntary images of the traumatic experience is reported by 93% and physicalsymptoms are reported by 91% of the respondents. Infographic 6 can be seen for the related visualizations.

8|PageHygiene items for general and personal use, showers, and latrines
Similar to the level of shelter, the need for non – food item distribution quake affected communities are
so high. As reported by various actors, lack of hygiene materials, portable toilets with the presence of deadbodies under the wreckage pose a great risk for public health. The presence of diarrhoea and skin relateddiseases, although at a minor, are being reported. Almost none of the respondent reported having
received non – food item assistance.

Figure 6. The extent to which the basic needs of the quake-affected communities are met

Information provision about available support mechanism and the need of support to be linked toexisting assistance schemes.
Another crucial need is the information about existing support mechanisms, that are managed by variousactors, as state and non-state. None of the respondents reported that the information need is met.
Similarly, there is a need for supporting the community members to access the available support
mechanisms, for which 79% reported not having received any related support to access existing assistance(see infographic 3).
9|PageHealthcare services and medication
The public and private hospitals in Antakya got damaged, as well. According to the inputs provided by
DoTW – TR senior team members, who are in coordination with AFAD and related authorities, as the map
produced by Map Action illustrates (see figure 6), Hatay Education Research hospital is partiallyoperational, and the feasibility assessment continues. Regarding the international support with respect tothe healthcare services, a hospital is set up in Antakya with a 72 in-patient capacity. Thus, the ability of thecommunity members to access health care services, either primary or secondary level, is severely affected,
which is confirmed by the respondents, as well. The percentage of the respondents reported that theirneed for accessing health care services and medication not met is respectively, 44% and 42%. 41%
reported their needs is met to a low extent.
Figure - 6 Hospital damage in Hatay province by Map Action

10 | P a g e

11 | P a g e