Conducted by KAOS GL, this report explores the challenges faced by LBGTQI+ individuals in accessing crisis support after February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. It investigates how local organisations have been able to provide support and the gaps that still remain.
- Organisations which operated in the earthquake-affected areas and were responsible for institutional policies development often fail to adequately include LGBTQI+ individuals and refugees.
- Even though LGBTQI+ individuals and refugees are referred to specialised CSOs, they often hesitate to reach out due to the absence of the aforementioned policies.
- Most of the CSOs that declared that they do not discriminate against LGBTQI+ individuals or refugees had no real experience working with these groups.
- There were no protective or supportive measures in place to address human rights violations against LGBTQI+ individuals, forcing them to conceal their identities. As a result, CSOs struggled to reach them to provide support, while those who disclosed their identities, as well as refugees, were left unprotected and vulnerable to violence.