Organisation and Co-ordination of Spontaneous Volunteers in Response to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Disaster in Türkiye

The 2023 earthquake in south-eastern Türkiye and north-western Syria was one of the deadliest disasters of the 21st century, with Türkiye being hit particularly hard. In addition to disaster management professionals, spontaneous volunteers played a crucial role in the relief efforts. Through 34 semi-structured interviews, this study explores the factors that enable spontaneous volunteers to participate in relief efforts, the structures that emerge during their self-organisation, and their interactions with formal disaster relief structures.

The research identifies motivation, resources, knowledge, needs assessment and disaster memory as key enablers of volunteer-led relief efforts. By using and adapting pre-existing structures, volunteers engaged in creative relief efforts that met immediate needs and supported resilience. Whilst their activities often occurred in parallel with formal disaster response, their co-ordination and integration however were limited. Challenges such as inadequate planning, legal ambiguities and a lack of mutual trust and recognition hampered co-operation between informal and formal responders. Nevertheless, the findings show a strong interest on both sides to work together more effectively.

By examining the enablers, organisational structures and interactions of spontaneous volunteers with formal actors, this research provides insights into the role of different forms of agency in crisis response. It contributes to ongoing discussions on how formal disaster risk management institutions can work together with informal volunteer networks to make crisis response systems more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable. The study highlights the need for policies that facilitate co-operation between formal and informal actors, build trust and create mechanisms for better co-ordination in future crises.