Indonesia's international humanitarian assistance following the 2023 Turkiye earthquake disaster

Indonesia contributed to the 2023 Turkiye earthquake response with a 181-member urban search and rescue team, an emergency medical team, and 140 tons of relief supplies. Multistakeholder international humanitarian assistance improves regional collaboration and human capital development of disaster response professionals. Additionally, humanitarian diplomacy nurtures our global community and aids in reducing disaster risks from impacts of disaster, climate change, and conflict. Indonesia and Turkiye collaborated excellently during the 2004 Aceh tsunami response to ensure marginalized communities had access to essential humanitarian relief. Both Indonesia and Turkiye as well as the United States (US) are vital partners. The three countries comprise close to a tenth of the global population, representing the West, Middle East, and Asia. The Federal Emergency Management Agency of the US, the Turkiye Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (Afet ve Acil Durum YÖnetimi Başkanlığı), and Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana) have been collaborating in knowledge exchange for disaster risk reduction. The humanitarian assistance to the Turkiye earthquake response provided lessons on international emergency response operations and integrated technical and cultural knowledge in emergency management. The experience demonstrated how to leverage education and training to build capabilities. This case is also about forging regional collaboration to support and serve marginalized, at-risk communities.