New Report: Rapid Needs Assessment of the February 2023 Earthquake’s Impact on Syrian SMEs in Türkiye
New Report: Rapid Needs Assessment of the February 2023 Earthquake’s Impact on Syrian SMEs in Türkiye
March 1, 2023 | Building Markets
In the early morning of February 6, 2023, a series of devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye killed more than 50,00 people in the country and Syria. In the ten earthquake-affected provinces in southern Türkiye, more than 500,000 buildings collapsed, and over 1.5 million people have been left homeless. Among those impacted are approximately two million Syrian refugees living in the affected areas and already previously displaced by the ongoing civil war in Syria.
As Building Markets’ previous research has found, Syrians have brought their entrepreneurial skills and capital to Türkiye. They have started more than 2,500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our network; over half are located in earthquake-affected areas. This report shares the results of a rapid needs assessment of these small business owners to understand the earthquake’s impact on SMEs, their business operations, and their most pressing needs.
This study will help Building Markets and other stakeholders focused on earthquake response and recovery prioritize necessary support for SME owners, employees, and their families during the earthquake’s immediate aftermath. It also highlights the potential to which SMEs can be engaged in supporting humanitarian and recovery effects.