The massive earthquakes that struck eastern Türkiye in February 2023 affected over 9 million people, and left almost half of them without safe homes. As of February 2024, some 760,000 people were still living in temporary shelters. Access to water, sanitation and protection assistance remain urgent priorities, and the risk of gender-based violence and child, early and forced marriage are high.

Sexual and reproductive health services remain below pre-quake levels and women and girls, including an estimated 130,000 pregnant women, struggle to access vital assistance.Since day one, UNFPA has been coordinating with national and local authorities and partners to get reproductive health and protection services up and running again, increasing mobile teams and outreach to take maternal health and gender-based violence prevention and response services to women and girls in need, wherever they are.

UNFPA has reached tens of thousands of women, girls and other vulnerable groups with crucial reproductive health and protection services since the onset of the crisis, but more needs to be done.

UNFPA is appealing for US$42 million to continue its life-saving assistance and support longer-term recovery efforts in Türkiye. These resources are urgently required to reach all women and girls with the health and protection support they need.