International Blue Crescent Foundation (IBC) has been working for more than 20 years in disasters occurring in different parts of the world, with the aim of alleviating the difficulties experienced by all people, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, belief, language, political opinion, gender, age, sexual orientation, genetic or physical characteristics. Operates actively.
In the current period, many disasters, such as floods and severe earthquakes that occur successively in different geographies, continue to subject humanity to unexpected tests.
IBC actively helps make its presence felt in the field by using its vast experience gained over the years as a compass to the cries for help rising both at home and abroad following the developments that suddenly change people's lives.
To heal the wounds of the earthquake...
The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes on February 6, with the epicenter in Kahramanmaraş affecting 11 provinces, turned the world's attention to Turkey. While 50,783 people lost their lives in severe earthquakes that damaged buildings, workplaces, and even historical monuments that have been in the homeland for centuries, 107,000 injured people were rescued. When the day dawned, IBC began to be actively present in the field to identify basic humanitarian reliefs and needs for the Turkish people who were faced with an unprecedented tragedy.
International Blue Crescent Foundation acted in cooperation with AFAD, Kızılay, Municipalities, Governorships, Presidency of Migration Management, and all relevant stakeholders in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Adıyaman and Diyarbakır, which were affected by the earthquake. It carried out emergency response and long-term efforts to heal the wounds and implemented long-term support projects. On the other hand, it continues its relief activities in Northern Syria, another region affected by the earthquake. IBC, which has not withdrawn from the region even though eight months have passed since the earthquake that caused one of the greatest destructions ever seen by humanity, has completed the installation of four community centers, child-friendly areas, and a mother-child care center and has already carried out many activities and also it continues.
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Some of the workshops held in Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep to help children get through this process more easily… |
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In addition to providing psychosocial support approved by the Ministry of Family and Social Services in the earthquake zone, the International Blue Crescent Foundation, acting with the awareness that access to basic needs is limited, it also offered mobile kitchens, mobile showers, and toilets to earthquake victims. More than 2000 hot meals a day are served in the mobile kitchens established in the region. Of course, earthquake victims who did not have access to this assistance were not forgotten. Distributions were made for earthquake victims who did not have access to hot food in designated campuses and camping areas, especially in the container cities in Islahiye.
Of course, children were among those most affected by the serious consequences of the earthquake that shook the entire country. For this reason, IBC prioritizes newborns, children under the age of three, and school-age children and continues to provide clothing, health relief (including medicine and mobile services), hygiene materials, diapers, and food support so they do not have difficulties in harsh winter conditions.
IBC continues its support…
IBC partners during the 10 months since the earthquake;
As a sign of the continuity of activities, the official opening of the Turkey-Korea Friendship City was held in the Serinyol Region of Hatay on October 19, 2023. The opening ceremony of the friendship city, which was established under the coordination of AFAD and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), was attended by IBC Vice President Muzaffer Baca, Korean Ambassador Won Ik Lee, AFAD and local administrators, as well as; Representatives of project partners Save the Children, Good Neighbors, KFHI and İlk Umut Association also attended.
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Türkiye - Korea Friendship City opening, Hatay Serinyol |
In addition to providing 170 ready-to-occupancy containers to the container city, which will accommodate approximately 2000 people,IBC; It also continues to distribute basic needs kits in the region regularly, empowerment activities for women, psychosocial support activities, awareness sessions and develop employment projects aimed at redeveloping the people of the region. In addition, it continues to provide all kinds of material and moral support, except basic humanitarian reliefs, in Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, and Şanlıurfa, which were affected by the earthquake.
IBC continued its existence beyond the border
While IBC continues its relief efforts without slowing down in all provinces affected by the earthquake, with the epicenter being Kahramanmaraş; It continues to develop relief projects under different headings for the communities in Northern Syria subjected to migration due to the earthquake.
The Kahramanmaraş earthquake damaged the settlements, facilities, and infrastructure of the region in Northern Syria and the surrounding provinces. As IBC, we started to conduct needs analyses in the region as a quick action. As a result of our intensive and detailed research, this most basic need was the most important problem that needed to be solved in Soran, where the main water tank became unusable. For this reason, in addition to completing the construction of a new water tank with a capacity of 100 cubic meters in the same region; The restoration of the 50 cubic meter water tank, which was damaged in the earthquake, continues.
Within the scope of our joint work with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) within the scope of the Water and Sanitation Project (WASH), work has been completed for 4 toilet blocks and 2 shower areas in the IVA camp in Azaz. The protocol preparation process continues for the installation of 21 toilet blocks within the Brotherhood Camp in the same region.
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Toilet and shower area works prepared within the scope of the WASH Project, Northern Syria |
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The International Blue Crescent Foundation has also taken action for other activities in Syria. IBC has recently started working on the living center he will establish in Muhawamah Camp. It is planned to accommodate approximately 600 people in 100 briquette houses to be established in the region. In addition, it will also establish a community center that will be constantly active in the area.
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Briquette house and community center plan, Northern Syria |
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On the other hand, emergency humanitarian relief efforts continue unabated in cooperation with Action Medeor. Moreover, IBC has the distinction of being the first and only Turkish NGO that supports certain branches of single-bed hospitals in the region in the health field. At the same time,IBC Syria team continues its intense interest in the people living there by visiting tent camps in the region within the scope of the mobile clinic project.
IBC operated in the field with a profound sense of responsibility
IBC continues providing basic humanitarian relief and needs to Morocco, Libya and Afghanistan. After the severe earthquake in Morocco on September 12, the flood that occurred in Libya immediately afterward, and the earthquake in Afghanistan on October 7, which caused thousands of people to die and be injured, IBC immediately sent their teams to the field to assess needs.
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IBC was on the field to identify basic needs, Herat Province, Afghanistan |
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Severe natural events in Morocco and Libya caused many settlements to be damaged or become uninhabitable. Since the first day of the disasters, IBC has reached out to more than 4,000 people with tents, blankets, food packages and first aid, with the generous support of partners such as IDRF Canada, Action Medeor, Islamic Help UK, Penny Appeal, King Baudouin Foundation US and STACO. bags, blankets, cooking utensils (stove and pot), baby food and diapers, gas cylinders and clothes, and hygiene kits for women. In addition to all these, IBC also launched an emergency Hot Meal Project for those affected by the flood in Libya with the support of its donors.
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IBC team distributes food, blankets, tents and hygiene packages, Morocco |
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While the International Blue Crescent Foundation continues its support to Turkey, Morocco and Libya, it started to further increase its support to the region after the earthquakes in Afghanistan on October 7. IBC immediately went to the field and started researching what the basic needs were. Shelter and access to hot food were among the urgent needs that needed to be met, considering the weather conditions. IBC took immediate action to meet these needs and, together with IDRF Canada, distributed hot meals, blankets and tents to hundreds of families in need.
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IBC team continues to heal the wounds of the earthquake in Afghanistan together with IDRF. |
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IBC continues its activities from South to North
International Blue Crescent Foundation works not only in earthquake zones; It actively continues its relief in other geographies. The International Blue Crescent Foundation, which hears the voices of people in need in Sahel Africa and continues its active presence in the field to find solutions to the problems, continues to distribute food continuously, including during Ramadan, with the generous support of IDRF Canada. Knowing that women and children are the ones most affected by the difficult living conditions in this region, IBC prioritized widows and homes with orphaned children in the distribution of relief.
Another country in need of humanitarian relief is Sudan… IBC continues its relief during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha throughout the year. The civil war that started in Sudan in April 2023 caused the people to be negatively affected in every sense. This situation created a domino effect and brought a series of problems. More than three hundred families stranded in their regions due to war are having problems accessing food, one of their basic needs. IBC aims to provide monthly food support to families in difficult situations, with the support of its donor IDRF Canada, in order to meet such an important need.
IBC distributes food packages during Ramadan Feast and sacrificed meat during Eid al-Adha in all three countries that share a common destiny on a single continent; In order to find a solution to the difficulty in accessing clean water, with IDRF Canada acted in partnership and continued its support in Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, which are facing a major crisis. 10 in Chad; It implemented water wells, 10 in Burkina Faso and 35 in Niger.
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Water wells opened in Niger and Chad… |
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Unfortunately, many countries in the world have problems accessing clean water. One of them is Yemen…In this geography, where more than 80% of the country's population needs humanitarian relief, drought and direct problems in agriculture make access to food very difficult. Taking action with IDRF Canada to solve this humanitarian tragedy, the International Blue Crescent Foundation has activated conventional and solar-powered water wells in many regions. In addition, Respiratory Therapy training was given to hundreds of nurses, mostly women, in order to eliminate the workforce shortage in intensive care and respiratory care units in the healthcare field. At the same time, food packages during the Ramadan Feast; We continue distributing meat during Eid al-Adha.
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Beneficiaries who benefit from the water wells opened in Yemen… |
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The International Blue Crescent Foundation does not hesitate to lend a helping hand to problems that manifest differently in every part of the world. It continues to support the people of Ukraine and Moldova, who are victims of the war that has been going on in the north of our country for almost a year and are in need of basic humanitarian relief. The emergence of problems in healthcare, access to food, housing, etc. in both countries due to the war made the current living conditions even more difficult. For this reason, we sent our team to the field from the very first moment to meet the basic human needs of the people of Ukraine and Moldova and made great efforts to meet each need carefully. Considering that children are the ones most affected by the war, we provided English lessons to make them happy and help them gain new habits. We supported solving the heating problem in different locations in both countries. In addition, we provided the necessary construction materials, double-glazed windows and doors to restore shelters or houses. Of course, the support we provide to this region is not limited. While we continue to distribute food and hygiene packages regularly; We are trying to heal the wounds of war together with our ongoing projects such as the construction of the health center and the installation of water tanks.
The International Blue Crescent Foundation will continue to work with all its strength to continue to make the voices of people in need heard and provide support to them wherever they are in the world.
