Destructive Earthquakes in Turkey
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On Monday, Feb. 6, a deathly 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, causing many injuries and deaths. It was the largest earthquake to hit Turkey in over 80 years, felt in the surrounding countries of Lebanon, Palestine, and more. Deadly aftershocks continued to follow the earthquake, causing even more injuries. Aftershocks are small earthquakes that usually happen right after the main quake and occur from hundreds to thousands in amount. Although they decrease over time, they can continue for days, weeks, months, and even years following the initial large earthquake. The number of aftershocks rose from ninety to over 7,000, with one of the largest recorded at 6.3. This devastating earthquake and its aftershocks left over 250 people injured. This earthquake is not Turkey’s first, as the country has experienced these natural disasters numerous times before, situated along tectonic plate boundaries. However, this earthquake proves to be the most deadly so far.
In less than two weeks following the earthquake, the number of deaths has continued rising. From 5,000, the number has jumped to 50,000, and it, unfortunately, seems to continue rising. Thousands of Syrians and Turkish citizens had to witness their lives being completely stripped from them, watching their homes, businesses, families, and country become destroyed. In southern Turkey, the ten provinces in which the earthquake struck totaled the destruction of over 6,000 buildings with the collapse of nearly 140,000 and resulted in almost 400,000 citizens placed in government shelters. More than 7 million children alone have already been affected by this tragedy. According to Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, over 900,000 Turkish citizens currently reside in tents or container homes. According to Al-Jazeera.com, President Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes within a year; however, the safety of these buildings and the security of the citizens should come as a priority first.
According to the US Geological Survey, many buildings in the Turkey region are not built to withstand large earthquakes, making destruction inevitable. Seismologists who study earthquakes and seismic waves say the problem is not necessarily the earthquake; it is the poor construction of buildings that are not earthquake-safe.
Although efforts remain in some Turkish provinces, such as Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, Turkey’s disaster management authority has been said to have ended most of their search and rescue operations since the earthquake’s initial hit. Earthquake experts say that the survival of any other people amidst the destruction is improbable, especially three weeks since the hit.
The nation of Syria has been dealing with a pressing humanitarian crisis for over a decade, and this recent devastating earthquake only made matters worse. With the constant Syrian economic crisis, faulty infrastructure, and more, over 14 million Syrians require protection and assistance. According to UNICEF, around 90% of Syrian families live in poverty and over 50% face food insecurity. With the effects of the earthquake, more Syrian families have been displaced, and Syrian infrastructure has been damaged. According to AlJazeera.com, the earthquake has, as of this week, affected some 20 million people in Turkey and 8.8 million people in Syria.
It’s heartbreaking to hear of all the devastation Turkish and Syrian families have been through and continue to endure, even more so with this deadly earthquake. Here are some ways to help: donate supplies and equipment to help continue search and rescue operations in affected Syrian regions through the nonprofit The White Helmet; help the nonprofit AKUT to search, assist, and rescue citizens who require assistance and aid; the Molham Team, who help set up shelters, provide food, blankets, and other necessities to displaced citizens after the earthquake; the Turkish Red Crescent who distributes aid to impacted Turkish people; and provide donations to the Syrian American Medical Society, who purchases trauma supplies and provides critical emergency aid to affected patients and citizens in need. It is imperative, now more than ever, to use your voice and find ways to help the people of Syria and Turkey—even if it’s the smallest action because taking any action is better than none.
