The devastating earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye in 2023 affected millions of lives, leaving destruction and hardship in their wake. Among the survivors is Canan, a mother of four who, along with her family, resides in a container city in Hatay.Canan’s story is one of perseverance despite physical and emotional scars. “During the earthquake, a wall collapsed on my face and back,” she recalls. “I was badly injured. That period was incredibly painful. For a while, I was bedridden. I went through long treatments. Now, I can walk without a walker”.While Canan regained her mobility after her prolonged treatment, she also lost vision in one eye due to debris falling on her face. What affected her most deeply was losing her eyelid, which left her unable to close one of her eyes.“I couldn’t bear to look in the mirror. I always felt bad seeing myself like that and didn’t want to go outside,” she said, reflecting on the emotional toll the experience took on her.Not aloneFortunately, Canan did not have to face this enormous life challenge on her own. Along the way, her psychological recovery has been supported by the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC), which provided trauma counseling for earthquake survivors. The project was done in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which launched a global emergency appeal within days of the initital earthquakesShe also received critical help through another collaborative TRC and IFRC programme that aims to ensure the safety and protection of people who are often particularly vulnerable following a large-scale disaster – women, children, the elderly and the disabled.Those efforts include financial aid that can provide people with greater stability and independence while also helping them meet other urgent needs such as health care, access to medicine, education opportunities, legal help or psychological support.Such services greatly reduce the chances that people in vulnerable situations are further harmed, abused or exploited, and they greatly increase the chances for a full and dignified recovery.In Canan’s case, the program enabled her to access health services for physiotherapy and treatment to restore her eyelid function.Though she still cannot see from one eye, Canan feels immense relief and gratitude for the chance to regain her confidence.“They supported me a lot,” she says of the Red Crescent. “I didn't want to show my face to anyone. I even got over that. Now I am very confident. I am normal. One of my eyes is blind, but I still have many friends and loved ones.”Comfortable and confidentAnother significant impact of the earthquakes was her intense fear of entering buildings, a common reaction among survivors. "I couldn’t enter concrete buildings before. I was terrified. But after receiving weekly psychological support from the Turkish Red Crescent for several months, I began to overcome it.”Canan can now get into the buildings, even into high-rise ones.“For the first time after the earthquake, I even went to my sister’s apartment on the 12th floor. Before the psychological support, I wasn’t even going outside. Now I feel more comfortable, more confident. I feel much better," she explained.The earthquakes left millions without homes or livelihoods, and vulnerable groups have been particularly affected. For individuals like Canan, who faced both physical and psychological challenges, these support mechanisms offer a crucial lifeline, enabling survivors to regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.A better life aheadA recent survey showed that the cash assistance programme is having a concrete, measurable impact. According to the study, 88 percent of the people who participated in the project reported improved living conditions.Thefollow-up assessment of the programme, known as Post-Distribution Monitoring, reveals that 51 percent of those who took part used the provided assistance to reduce or eliminate health-related protection risks.Ninety-five percent of people also reported improved household communication and relationships, reinforcing the broader social benefits of the assistance.By Sevil ErkuşSenior Communications Officer, IFRC Türkiye Delegation