The earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria in February 2023 prompted a major humanitarian response led by the Turkish Government and supported by the United Nations and other local actors, including businesses in Türkiye.
In this case study, the Connecting Businesses Initiative explores the role of businesses in the Turkish context, including successes and challenges in coordinating between the private sector and humanitarian organizations, with the aim of improving private sector collaboration in future humanitarian responses.
The Connecting Business initiative (CBi) - a joint initiative by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - engages the private sector strategically before, during and after emergencies, increasing the scale and effectiveness of the response and recovery in a coordinated manner. Since CBi’s launch at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016, CBi Member Networks have responded to 189 crises, mobilized US $132 million and assisted more than 55 million people (as of end 2024).
The CBi supports both crisis response and development efforts by integrating and engaging the private sector. As the world continues to see more severe and frequent disasters, the crucial role the private sector plays in disaster management has become more apparent.