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On 6th February 2023, a huge earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck Turkey and Syria with an epicentre in Antakya. Including the aftershock, estimates suggest around 60,000 people lost their lives and 120,000 people were injured.
Immediately the small Turkish Baptist family began to respond to the cry for help from family, neighbours in Turkey and Northern Syria. Simultaneously, the Lebanese Baptists, Thimar (LSESD) began to support humanitarian aid in other regions of Syria and Hungarian Baptist Aid sent their rescue team into the epicentre of the quake.
This story describes the impact of Turkish Baptist Aid, a handful of dedicated voluntary workers and what they were able to achieve in the last two years. The key to their impact is found in the preparedness and training they had undergone before the earthquake and the smaller projects they had developed to support Syrian refugees in the past.
The project, implemented by the Turkish Baptist Alliance with support from the European Baptist Federation members and partners (EBF) and European Baptist Mission (EBM), aimed to provide essential humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. The initiative focused on addressing the urgent needs of affected communities, particularly in Adana, Hatay/Antakya, Izmir, and Idlib/Syria.
The funds released for the Humanitarian Aid for Earthquake Victims project were primarily used for food distribution and shelter provision.
Purchase and distribution of food packages began immediately in order to support earthquake survivors in Adana, Hatay/Antakya, Izmir, and Idlib/Syria. Church members and volunteers assisted in distributing aid and engaging with beneficiaries.
Food Aid Distribution
In 2023:
2.500 Food packages were delivered in person to Syria
9.000 Food packages were distributed in Turkey
55.800 People in need benefitted from the projects in total.
In 2024:
600 food packages were delivered in person to Syria
2000 food packages delivered in Turkey
13090 people in need benefitted from the project in total.
Shelter & Reconstruction
In Idlib, Syria: Turkish Baptist Aid paid for the construction of 10 briquette houses as part of a larger camp of 161 houses, built in partnership with the Turkish Red Crescent.
In Hatay/Antakya, Turkey, 7 prefabricated houses have been supplied to families in need of shelter, as well as two container houses which provided immediate shelter for displaced families. Hopes remain that a final 3 prefabricated houses will be delivered in due course and support the resettlement of families back into their home town.
Challenges & Lessons Learned
There have been many challenges due to economic instability and high inflation in Turkey. Securing reliable construction services for prefabricated houses proved difficult. Providing food aid was more effective and manageable, ensuring immediate relief to those in need and will remain a primary focus in future humanitarian efforts.
Partnerships have been essential, in particular collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent was crucial for delivering aid in Idlib, Syria, where direct church access is restricted. It is clear that strong relational partnerships improve project implementation.
Spiritual & Community Impact
This compassion ministry has also created spiritual opportunities: The Aid distribution did not only meet physical needs but also created opportunities for emotional engagement, faith discussions, and strengthening church connections with earthquake-affected communities. It led to conversations with city mayors and community leaders in Turkey, many of whom had never engaged with a Christian community before.
Gratitude & Acknowledgments
We would like to express our thanks to all the churches, EBF members and partners, German Baptist Aid, BWA, BFAD, EBM International and others who stood with us in our time of need and enabled the church in Turkey to bear witness to the love of our Heavenly Father for all the people of this world.
Prayer:
May the Lord open the hearts of people for His Word, who were affected by the earthquake.
May the Lord help the people to recover from physical, psychological and spiritual pain, who have lost their loved ones and belongings.
May the Lord give wisdom to officials and leaders in the area, that new and safe homes can be built as soon as possible.
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