A meeting held at the Turkish House (Türkevi) in New York highlighted the humanitarian aid diplomacy and the role of youths in the aftermath of the Feb. 6 earthquakes that left over 50,000 dead in Türkiye’s southeast.
In collaboration with Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the U.N., the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) brought together representatives from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Pakistan, the U.N. Environment Programme and the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association’s (MUSIAD) youth branch for a series of discussions as part of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum.
Türkiye has seen joint action of governments and aid organizations across the world in the wake of the earthquake disaster, ICYF chief Taha Ayhan said as he delivered the event’s opening address.
"Türkiye has discovered friendship bonds and countries that stand by it in this period. In addition to promoting Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy, this has also assured youths that the world is still a livable place," Ayhan remarked.
Emphasizing the significance of youths’ participation in the rehabilitation process in terms of helping the post-disaster recovery, the ICYF chief said this "shows the younger generation’s determination in serving their communities."
"Young people have worked in close cooperation with various national and international rescue missions, distributing aid, raising funds, supporting awareness campaigns on social media and offering families every possible kind of help. As ICYF, we too have mobilized, be it with our personnel, be it with volunteers, to support those affected by the earthquakes," Ayhan noted.
He went on to stress that humanitarian diplomacy has bolstered global cooperation between governments and nongovernmental organizations, saying: "We have seen firsthand in Türkiye’s example how actively and creatively involving youths in these initiatives increased the effectiveness and social inclusivity of aid."
On raising the participation potential of youths in diplomacy, Ayhan suggested more investments in training youths on disaster preparedness, intervention and recovery.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Sedat Önal said his country’s participation in U.N.’s youth initiatives reflected its commitment to supporting the welfare and empowerment of youths both domestically and on a global scale.
In terms of scale, the size of the impacted area, and population, the Feb. 6 earthquakes were an unprecedented disaster, Önal said.
"Over 122 countries, including OIC members, have generously responded to Türkiye’s emergency call, and 90 nations sent search and rescue teams," he recalled.
"At this critical point, many young people displayed the best example of volunteering and joined in aid and rescue efforts on the front line. They also actively took part in fundraising efforts led in New York for earthquake victims. We are proud of them," he said.
"We believe in young people to make the world a fairer, more righteous and prosperous place," he concluded.
Following opening speeches, OIC’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Hameed Opeloyeru and Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Mohammed Amir Khan also addressed the crowd as the event proceeded to other panels.