After the earthquake of 6 February, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is stepping up its commitment to the rural communities of Turkey and Syria, affected by the earthquake. In collaboration with the relevant local authorities, FAO is closely monitoring the situation and assessing the impact of the earthquake on food supply chains to better understand the extent of the damage and identify priority areas for intervention in order to quickly resume food production and return the total value to the distribution food chain.

In Turkey, FAO is working closely with the government to determine next steps in the rehabilitation of earthquake-damaged agricultural sector infrastructure, including irrigation systems, roads, markets and storage capacity. In Syria, FAO's assessments of earthquake-affected areas report a serious disruption to agricultural and livestock production capacity, threatening immediate and long-term food security. This includes damage and losses to livestock, agricultural equipment and infrastructure such as greenhouses, irrigation, storage facilities, as well as food and feed production facilities, among others.

FAO's priority in both Turkey and Syria is to ensure that the most affected rural communities can sustain and recover basic food production, while supporting local authorities in assessing damage and agricultural needs on a larger scale. Activities in both countries will focus on the provision of agricultural inputs (animal feed, seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, fuel, tools, equipment), veterinary care (livestock treatment and vaccination) and unconditional cash transfers for a period of one at three months. Damage and needs assessments and related recovery plans will provide further information on future actions.