On February 6, 2023, Turkey was hit by two devastating earthquakes affecting eleven provinces in Türkiye and northwest Syria which exacerbated the already existing challenges.
According to official records, over 15 million people have been directly affected, accounting for 16.4% of Türkiye’s population.
Qudra 2 continues to support municipalities in their efforts to recover from the effects of the earthquake and fulfil the needs of their communities. Positive results of our support to strengthen the resilience of the municipalities is evident through the efforts of the municipalities during the recovery period.
Following the earthquakes, municipalities most affected have conducted a needs assessment and amended the on-going communşty support projects (CSPs) to respond to emerging needs in the best effective way immediately.
One example is Qudra 2’s support to municipal bakeries. The earthquakes damaged infrastructure in the area, including municipalities’ bakeries, which normally provide subsidised bread to local communities. This led to a shortage of bread in the region during these hard times. Municipalities of Suruç, Kahramanmaraş, and Haliliye adapted their community support projects to distribute bread free of charge to those affected by the earthquake. Public bakeries where established in some areas. With the support of Qudra 2 the bakeries are equipped to produce more than 5,000 loaves of bread per day to be distributed to neighbouring households.
Qudra 2 in Türkiye supports municipalities to strengthen their capacities in their responses to crises and planning to better cope with emerging needs resulted from disasters, conflicts, or other crises.
Empowerment for an equal future
Yüreğir Municipality is taking steps to expand the capacity of kitchens in its cultural houses increasing the number of meals distributed daily from 2,000 to 6,000 households per day. These kitchens have previously provided vocational training to 135 Turkish and Syrian women. With the increased capacity, even more women are expected to benefit from this project.
In an effort to further support both locals and refugees, the municipality has established a “Gastronomy Center” that offers vocational training in the field of food. This training equips individuals with the skills to start their own businesses and earn a living. The physical elements of the kitchens, such as stoves and awnings, have been set up, and with the support of Qudra 2, the necessary cooking equipment is provided to the municipality.
This initiative aims to create employment opportunities and empower the community through education and vocational training in the food industry.