The Türkiye–Syria earthquake response six months on: lessons on communication, community engagement and accountability
Women supported by a cash-for-work project in Sarmada, northwest Syria searching for personal belongings such as ID cards and photos lost under the rubble left by the earthquake. Photo: OCHA/Mohanad Zayat
Six months since two devastating earthquakes and numerous aftershocks struck southern Türkiye and northwest Syria on 6 February 2023, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Millions of people are still in need of critical assistance and living in temporary shelters after being forced from their damaged or destroyed homes. The humanitarian context is complex: extreme heat, reduced cross-border access for aid into affected areas of northwest Syria and large pre-existing populations of internally displaced people and refugees continue to challenge the response.
In a crisis of this magnitude, access to critical information and continuous dialogue between communities and service providers can be a lifeline. Efforts to ensure that people’s needs inform response planning will enable a more sustainable and resilient recovery process.
This brief presents key lessons and recommendations to ensure robust communication, community engagement and accountability (CCEA) efforts to meet the needs of affected people in Türkiye and Syria.
Available in Arabic, English and Turkish, the brief builds on a previous edition published by CDAC Network shortly after the earthquakes. The recommendations draw from CDAC’s project to map the information, communication and engagement ecosystem in Türkiye and northwest Syria, supported by the H2H Network, as well as CDAC member situation updates from ongoing responses.
Key lessons
People still need actionable information to help access critical services and rebuild their lives.
Affected people still face physical barriers to accessing information.
Humanitarian actors should leverage understanding of two-way information flows with affected communities to tailor communication and community engagement activities.
CCEA efforts must be linked with local systems and existing coordination structures.
Rumours can be a matter of life or death – develop collective means to monitor and counter them with accurate information.
Humanitarian actors must elevate the language needs of disproportionately disadvantaged groups.
Cash assistance requires specialised communication and community engagement strategies to increase impact and resilience.
The information and communication needs of marginalised groups require special attention in CCEA strategies.
