Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Response

On 6 February, two 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck in Türkiye and Syria. An estimated 60,000 people have died.

Assessing seismic damage in this regional context is a specialised skill. There are not enough on-ground specialists.

We are building on our existing programme in the region, supporting structural engineers and construction specialists to assess damaged buildings and to repair and retrofit these to build future resilience. We're training local engineers in Türkiye and Syria to conduct contextualised rapid seismic damage assessments, allowing them to determine whether buildings are safe for people to return to. We're training trainers so that the impact can be multiplied, and we're building coordination between key actors on the ground.

Learning Needs Assessment

This research gathers perspectives from local engineers and actors on the ground. They will inform the next phase of our response. The report identifies current capacity gaps and learning needs amongst engineers responding to the earthquake, alongside their strengths, recommending ways in which humanitarian partners can best leverage these strengths. An executive summary outlining three recommendations is found on pages four and five.

We hope this research will also be valuable for other actors developing capacity for earthquake response.

Download the findings (45 pages) in English here.

Download the findings in Arabic here.

Free open training and resources

Since the beginning of the earth response, we have been running free, open, online training sessions on rapid damage assessments. These are designed for engineers in Syria and Türkiye to assume a base level of knowledge on structures and structural behaviour, using a building damage assessment tool.

We are also running a range of training modules through July, August and September 2023. To apply for a place and find out more information please fill in our application form by clicking here.

There is also a collation of tools, resources and guidance below from various sources:

Rapid post disaster assessments: field guide (English). This is New Zealand based, but still a very useful field guide including on field safety and tools for different types of assessment
Collation of documents and resources on safe entry and rescue (collated by the Shelter Centre on the humanitarian library)
Collation of documents and resources on post-disaster debris management (collated by the Shelter Centre on the humanitarian library)

Free remote coaching to engineers on ground

RedR UK has a pool of international expert seismic and structural engineers, that can provide free coaching and support to engineers on the ground conducting damage assessments. Organisations who have engineers in their staff can also utilise this service.

Fill in the form here to request remote support (please bear in mind remote specialists will not be able to directly make calls on safety of buildings, but can support engineers on ground to make informed decisions).

Coordination to on-ground engineers

If you are an organisation looking for an on-ground engineer who can do damage assessments, RedR UK has a pool of trained engineers in Türkiye and Syria who we can connect you with.

Fill in the same form here to request ground support (bear in mind as an organisation you will need to contract the on-ground engineer directly and likely provide renumeration for their services, travel, etc.). RedR UK can offer coaching and support as above to the engineer on ground as required.

Tailored training at reduced fees

If you require a tailored or private training for your staff or colleagues, RedR UK can run remote or face-to-face training, drawing upon the materials used for our publicly available training sessions. Please contact mohammed.bashein@redr.org.uk for more information, there is a rough idea of prices below:

Rapid damage assessments (online): from £25pp for a 2-hour session for up to 20 staff
Rapid damage assessments (face-to-face): from £50pp for a ½ day training, dependent on location
Other training (e.g. rubble removal, debris management, repair, more complex damage assessments on request): from £60pp for a ½ day training

Deployments of structural specialists

RedR UK can also accommodate and organise deployment of structural specialists where more complex or detailed damage assessments are required. Email mohammed.bashein@redr.org.uk to discuss your needs and requirements here, and we’d be happy to discuss further. We work alongside RedR Australia, specialists in humanitarian deployment into emergencies for this.