Two Years On: Reflecting on the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Humanitarian Response

As we mark the second anniversary of the Türkiye-Syria earthquake response, this podcast episode is dedicated to reflections, lessons learnt, and remaining challenges.

Oksana Dobrovolska, Communications Officer at the HLA, hosts a conversation with Bdour Ghousheh, the HLA Regional Lead in the Middle East and North Africa, and Samantha Davis, the HLA Deputy Director for Learning and Programmes. The discussion touches on personal experiences responding to the disaster, the essential role of local partnerships and expertise, focus on strengthening local capacity and investing in sustainable systems, mental health and wellbeing support as part of the response, and funding volatility. 

About the speakers

Bdour Ghousheh is the Regional Lead for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy. With over 10 years of experience in the humanitarian sector, she specialises in education, partnerships, project management, and capacity strengthening throughout the MENA region.

Samantha Davis is the HLA's Deputy Director for Learning and Programmes. She has nearly 20 years of experience in international development and humanitarian contexts, with expertise in leadership, partnerships, coaching, and organisational change. Sam guides the direction of the HLA's programmes and learning teams, identifying opportunities to be agile and responsive to the rapidly changing humanitarian ecosystem.

Oksana Dobrovolska is a Communications Officer at the HLA, overseeing communications for programmes in the Middle East & North Africa and Eastern Europe regions. 

Find out more about Türkiye-Syria Earthquake response under the SHIFT programme: SHIFT

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The views and opinions expressed in our podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.