INSARAG after action review 2023 | Türkiye and Syria earthquakes - A comprehensive report of INSARAG’s largest international search and rescue operation

Introduction

This publication seeks to commemorate the outstanding efforts of the INSARAG Network and to recall the events of its response to the 2023 Türkiye and Syria Earthquakes. It further seeks to present the primary recommendations put forward by the INSARAG Network following its months-long after- action review (AAR), which culminated in a 2-day global AAR meeting on the USAR response and hosted by the INSARAG Africa, Europe and Middle East Regional Chair 2024, in Doha, Qatar on 17-18 October 2023.

On 6 February 2023, at 04:17 local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake rumbled across southern and central Türkiye and northwestern Syria. Its epicenter was just 37km from the city of Gaziantep—a population center of more than 2 million people. A little over 9 hours later, at 13:24, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck 95km north of the first. The destructive force from the two earthquakes caused widespread damage across 350,000km2, an area about the size of Germany. In total, 59,259 people tragically lost their lives—50,783 in Türkiye and 8,476 in Syria. An estimated 1.5 million people were left homeless and approximately 16% of Türkiye’s population was directly affected by this disaster. The earthquakes were the deadliest natural disaster in Türkiye’s modern history and the deadliest worldwide since the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The level of grief assumed by the Turkish and Syrian people can never be quantified by the number of fatalities or dollar estimates of damages. At the time of writing, more than nine months since the earthquakes, large swaths of Türkiye’s cities remain piles of rubble. Cleanup efforts are still ongoing. Thousands of people continue residing in temporary shelters across the affected area. As the attention of world media outlets shift to other emergencies, the people and governments of Türkiye and

Syria continue to manage the consequences of these earthquakes and will continue doing so for years to come. This publication is written in full recognition of the solemn outcomes of this horrific disaster—the burden and grief forever carried by the affected population, the mourning of those who lost loved ones, the millions who faced or are still facing displacement, and the immense damages sustained across both countries.

The INSARAG network played a pivotal role in the response effort in the initial days after the earthquakes. Following the call for international assistance from Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), USAR teams from across the globe started pouring into Türkiye. At the peak of USAR operations, 199 international rescue teams were deployed to the field, of which 49 were INSARAG classified. 11320 search and rescue personnel and 306 search dogs augmented the nationally led search and rescue response. In total, 300 lives were saved by these efforts. The solidarity between nations enabling a global response of this scale was unprecedented.

In addition to 49 INSARAG classified teams, numerous non-classified teams joined in the search and rescue effort. INSARAG’s UCC coordinated the activities of 118 of these teams. The differentiating factor between INSARAG classified teams and non-classified teams lies in their heightened level of professionalism, acquired through standardized training, adherence to common operating procedures, seamless coordination facilitated by OCHA/INSARAG from mobilization to demobilization, and the consistent utilization of INSARAG’s information management systems.

The Türkiye and Syria earthquakes are a defining moment for INSARAG, ushering in a new era of growth for the network. International USAR teams operating in accordance with the globally accepted INSARAG guidelines and methodology played a crucial role in providing lifesaving services to those affected by this unprecedented disaster. This event underscores INSARAG’s unique and extremely valuable role in response and highlights the key areas where it must evolve and adapt to better serve this role in the future.

An oft-overheard term during the global AAR meeting in October 2023, described the 2023 Türkiye-Syria Earthquakes as a “black swan event” for INSARAG. While this phrase accurately captures the unexpected nature and grave consequences of the earthquakes, it fails to highlight the opportunity for this event to serve as a catalyst of growth and improvement to INSARAG’s systems. As a network, INSARAG is committed to forging its path forward, staying fit for purpose, and remaining accountable to affected populations. As humanitarians, we must learn and grow with every response.

This moment represents a critical juncture, where the INSARAG network underwent a proper litmus test. The INSARAG system worked. It swiftly mobilized thousands of well-trained search and rescue personnel from around the world
and coordinated their response under common systems, resulting in many lives saved. But this does not distract from the need to capture the lessons learned from this event to further bolster preparedness for the next disaster. In the months following the earthquakes, the INSARAG network, its team leaders and constituent working groups, and the INSARAG Secretariat worked to capture these lessons and generate recommendations for the future of INSARAG. This document will not delve into all these recommendations, but it will highlight the primary outcomes from the extensive AAR and pinpoint the areas upon which INSARAG must prioritize in the years to come.

It is with our joint intention that these recommendations are implemented, and their progress monitored. For these changes will determine the future direction of INSARAG. The lessons learned from this tragedy will guide the network’s continuous journey towards enhanced preparedness, ensuring it remains a beacon of hope and support for communities affected by disasters worldwide.