IFRC aid programme boosts business in quake zone

The Livelihood Recovery Programme launched by the Turkish Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies last November has made significant progress in the recovery of local businesses in earthquake-affected areas in Turkey.

Through the Micro and Small Enterprise Cash Support Programme, farmers, artisans and small businesses were supported in rebuilding their future, rehabilitating livestock and agricultural areas, and repairing damaged infrastructure.

While the first phase supported 607 small and micro enterprises with an average cash transfer of 40,000 Turkish liras ($1,223.90) per person, the program entered its second phase in June and will continue until February 2025.

The cash transfers also helped more than 860 agricultural and livestock farmers who received payments in two installments in the first phase of the program, with each person receiving an average of 30,000 Turkish Liras.

On February 6, 2023, Turkey was rocked by deadly earthquakes, later dubbed the “disaster of the century,” which killed more than 53,537 people, injured 107,213, and severely damaged more than 800,000 individual units, including homes and businesses. The seismic waves, each with a magnitude of over 6.5, reverberated across a vast area covering 120,000 square kilometers (46,332 square miles). An estimated 14 million people found themselves in the earthquake’s impact zone.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Sabah, Jessie Thompson, Head of the IFRC Delegation in Turkey, said: “People have not only lost their homes, but also their sources of income. More than 25% of the earthquake-affected population has lost their income-generating activities. It will take years to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient again. The Turkish Red Crescent and the IFRC have been at the heart of the earthquake response since day one and will continue to support communities for many years to come.”

“This is not the time to scale back assistance, we must redouble our efforts. Despite important steps forward, the road to recovery is still long. Those affected now need support to rebuild their businesses, restore lost livelihoods, and begin the slow journey back to normal life,” she added.

In the second phase of the programme, the Turkish Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies aim to assist 4,000 small and micro enterprises and 2,000 farmers.

Women-owned micro and small enterprises at risk and young micro and small enterprises between the ages of 18 and 30 will receive 80 thousand Turkish Liras, companies in the manufacturing/production sector will receive 70 thousand Turkish Liras, while companies in the retail/service sectors will receive 50 thousand Turkish Liras.

A study conducted among earthquake survivors who received support in the first phase revealed the positive impact of the programme, with the majority expressing satisfaction with the support they received, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Farmer Ali Ozturk in the Islah district of Gaziantep, Turkey, January 24, 2024. (Courtesy of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)

The study showed that cash assistance was significantly preferred over in-kind assistance.

Individuals reported using it to re-establish their businesses by purchasing equipment, raw materials or machinery.

Memik Gobilek, who makes a living raising animals in Kahramanmaraş province, saw his house and the barn where his animals lived collapse during the earthquakes. He has been living in a container in Kahramanmaraş since then. Many of his animals have died under the rubble.

With the help of the cash support mechanism provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, he was able to buy hay and animal feed for his livestock.

“We rescued two of our seven animals, five of them remained under the rubble. The Red Crescent helped us, may Allah reward them. I bought hay and fodder. I expect more help. Our financial situation is not good,” he said in an interview with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, published by the Daily Sabah newspaper.

The results showed that while a large number of beneficiaries (96% of farmers and 90% of MSMEs) saw moderate improvements in their business recovery thanks to the assistance provided, a smaller but significant group (4% of farmers and 10% of MSMEs) saw significant improvements in their business recovery, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Ali Ozturk, a farmer from Gaziantep and a beneficiary of the aid programme, saw his barn and tractor destroyed by the earthquakes.

“I used to work in animal husbandry, but the earthquake destroyed the barn in front of my house, and my tractor was buried under the rubble,” he said. “After the earthquake, I did not give up, and I continued to take care of my land.”

Thanks to cash grants from the Turkish Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, he was able to purchase agricultural supplies needed to maintain his olive and grape crops.

“The Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies provided me with cash support twice, and with the cash support I first bought the fertilizers that I used in the field, and then I bought the pesticides,” he added.

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