02 May 2025
Southeast Asian Responses to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes
Executive Summary
This policy report analyses the humanitarian responses of Southeast Asian countries to the 7.8 magnitude earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria in February 2023. It traces the emerging role of Southeast Asian states in responding to a humanitarian crisis outside the region and identifies lessons from their emergency response operations.
Based on semi-structured in-person and online interviews with participants on the ground, the report assesses the scope and limitations of the Southeast Asian states’ humanitarian responses and the implications for cooperation between them. Considering the limited experience of the Southeast Asian response teams with disaster responses of such a scale and outside of the region, they faced challenges including obstructions in emergency preparedness and limited communication and coordination.
Looking ahead, the report identifies areas of potential development for Southeast Asia’s disaster management mechanisms through:
- the establishment of a regional framework on humanitarian diplomacy to consolidate the region’s ambitions of global leadership on disaster management; and
- the adaptation of existing ASEAN mechanisms for disasters outside of the region.
Executive Summary
This policy report analyses the humanitarian responses of Southeast Asian countries to the 7.8 magnitude earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria in February 2023. It traces the emerging role of Southeast Asian states in responding to a humanitarian crisis outside the region and identifies lessons from their emergency response operations.
Based on semi-structured in-person and online interviews with participants on the ground, the report assesses the scope and limitations of the Southeast Asian states’ humanitarian responses and the implications for cooperation between them. Considering the limited experience of the Southeast Asian response teams with disaster responses of such a scale and outside of the region, they faced challenges including obstructions in emergency preparedness and limited communication and coordination.
Looking ahead, the report identifies areas of potential development for Southeast Asia’s disaster management mechanisms through:
- the establishment of a regional framework on humanitarian diplomacy to consolidate the region’s ambitions of global leadership on disaster management; and
- the adaptation of existing ASEAN mechanisms for disasters outside of the region.
