Responding to catastrophe in Türkiye

The earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria in February 2023 were among the worst ever recorded in the region, leading to widespread death and destruction. Türkiye, a founding member of the CEB, bore the brunt of the damage, with over 50 000 people killed, over 100 000 injured and some 1.5 million people left homeless. Millions were affected by the damage caused to infrastructure, schools, hospitals and other essential services as well as by psychological trauma.

The CEB responded swiftly, approving a new €250 million loan at an extraordinary meeting of the Administrative Council in April to help Türkiye’s health sector cope with the disaster and contribute to more resilient healthcare infrastructure in the medium term. The CEB’s loan is part of a €500 million pledge that Governor Monticelli announced at an EU donors conference, “Together for the People in Türkiye and Syria”, in Brussels on 20 March 2023.

In recent years, the CEB has financed several healthcare projects in Türkiye, notably in the context of the COVID-19 response and for primary healthcare facilities. The Bank also supervised the development of an EU-funded, 400-bed hospital in Kilis, which opened in December 2022. Kilis is located near the Syrian border, where the earthquakes would later strike. The state-of-the-art construction withstood the seismic shocks, allowing the new hospital to be used to treat victims while becoming fully operational at a pivotal time. Conscious of the importance of such preparedness, the CEB also established a new Disaster Prevention and Recovery Fund.

©CEB 2024