Following the earthquakes in Istanbul on April 23, the number of applications to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) volunteer system increased fourfold.
The 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred on April 23 in the Marmara Sea off the coast of Silivri, Istanbul, and the subsequent aftershocks raised the public's awareness of earthquake issues.
During this period, the number of applications to AFAD's volunteer system significantly increased.
Before the Istanbul earthquakes, an average of 200 people per day volunteered to AFAD across Türkiye, but after the earthquakes, the daily average number of applications rose to 800.
After the earthquakes, 5,480 people applied to join AFAD's volunteer system across Türkiye.
With the latest applications, the total number of volunteers in the system has reached 1,588,263.
The AFAD Volunteer System aims to involve individuals who want to contribute to any phase of disaster management in a planned manner, define their areas of responsibility, and support their capacities through training.
In the next phase, volunteers are classified into three levels based on their training and expertise: basic, support, and expert AFAD volunteers.
A basic AFAD volunteer is someone who is aware of what an AFAD volunteer is and why they are needed, knows basic disaster-related concepts and has gained awareness through preliminary knowledge of fire, evacuation and first aid, having completed AFAD's remote education courses.
A support AFAD volunteer has the knowledge and skills to assist professional teams in disaster and emergencies in search and rescue, social assistance, fire and first aid. They have completed face-to-face training organized by provincial AFAD directorates or can provide valid documentation of relevant training in the field they wish to support.
An expert AFAD volunteer is an AFAD volunteer who has a career in specific fields (such as communications, psychiatry, translation, etc.) and is willing to contribute as a volunteer during suitable periods.
To become a support or expert AFAD volunteer, individuals must be at least 18 years old.
