Paper details
| Paper authors | Nil Akdede, Buse Ceren Otaç |
| In panel on | Disaster Risk Reduction in Fragile, Conflict-Affected, and Vulnerable (FCV) Contexts: Strategies for Protracted Crises |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
Disasters are among the phenomena that profoundly affect communities and can drastically alter their daily lives. For groups who have already undergone—and continue to experience—Fragile, Conflict-Affected, and Vulnerable (FCV) conditions, disasters can be considered a “second hit”, necessitating complex and context-specific responses due to the intersection of disaster impacts and conflict dynamics. Following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, both Türkiye and Syria were devastatingly affected by the damage and collapse of the built environment. Notably, in the earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye near the Syrian border, thousands of Syrians residing in Türkiye—who had previously been displaced by the social conflict in Syria—were among those affected.
This study aims to explore the interface between disaster- and conflict-affected communities by scrutinizing the practices applied to Syrians affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye. By identifying the regulations and practices—whether effective, ineffective, or inadequate—implemented in the disaster response from the moment of the earthquakes onward, this paper seeks to present a context-specific timeline that may inform future responses to the complex challenges faced by communities caught between disaster and conflict. The timeline, alongside the discussion it generates, aims to shift the approach to crises towards a stronger focus on community resilience. By doing so, disaster risk reduction can be contextualised within a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of disasters and their compounded impacts on communities.
