Turkey and Syria Shocked by Earthquake
Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Source for photo: Reuters
On February 6th, 2023, Turkey and Syria were hit by a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the strongest earthquake to hit the countries in their modern history. The earthquake affected people and structures, with reports saying that there were over thousands of casualties and those injured, as well as hundreds destroyed and damaged buildings. The earthquake affected at least ten different provinces in Turkey and at least four cities in Syria. The earthquake has left 26 million people in need of aid and the nations will be dealing with the aftermath for the foreseeable future.
The Aftermath
The initial 7.8 magnitude earthquake left parts of Turkey and Syria in shambles with thousands dead, thousands left homeless, and millions left in need of support. Within just a couple of days after the earthquake, it was reported that the death toll had already risen past 50,000. Turkey and Syria continued to suffer from aftershocks and tremors weeks after the first earthquake, and the number of injured and dead continued to rise. Amid all the damage caused by the initial earthquake, the southern part of Turkey was hit again on February 20th by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. This earthquake brought more panic to the already suffering region and further damaged some of the remaining buildings. Following this, a third earthquake, of a 5.2 magnitude, hit Turkey on February 27th. The areas hit were already suffering from the previous two earthquakes and this third earthquake added 49 more injured and at least one more death to the already large count.
The Response
With Turkey supporting anti-government forces fighting against the Syrian Regime, both countries are in the midst of an eleven year conflict that has created a refugee crisis in both nations.. With many families already displaced by the ongoing conflict and millions more in need of aid due to the recent earthquakes, efforts were dispatched by the United Nations and other organizations to support the people of both Turkey and Syria. On February 9th, the United Nations dispatched over 200 different trucks to northwest Syria carrying food, water, shelter, and other essentials amounting to a total of over 120 supply trucks. Many organizations are helping to deal with the aftermath of this natural disaster. World Vision has made large efforts to help those in need, working with 14 other organizations to donate thousands of liters of fuel for shelters and medical facilities, provide search and rescue teams, install heaters in emergency centers, and provide over 11, 000 ready to eat meals and over 57,000 medical consultations. World Vision has also donated funds for thousands of people in Syria to get necessities (food, bedding, medication, and diapers), 12 thousand people in Syria to receive cash assistance, and 20 thousand people in Turkey to receive hygiene kits. Many other organizations are also making large efforts to bring aid and support to the millions affected by the earthquakes in both Turkey and Syria.
What Can We Do To Help?
With Turkey and Syria being shocked by three large earthquakes and countless aftershocks all within the same month, there are millions of people who are in need. There are many organizations taking donations to send aid to both Turkey and Syria. One of these organizations is World Vision. The group is currently taking donations to send more aid to Turkey and Syria. Another organization is Save the Children, whose focus is on sending support to children in Turkey and Syria. In Turkey, Save the Children have been working with both the Turkish Red Crescent and Support to Life, among other organizations, to provide things like tents, hygiene kits, bedding, heaters, clothing, and any other essential items. Save the Children have also been working in Syria to help provide tents, kits for the winter, and fuel to heat health centers. Save the Children is taking donations to help the people of Turkey and Syria recover from these devastating earthquakes. There are many other organizations looking to help both countries, and when looking to donate it is important to select reputable charities that are transparent with how they use donations. There are many resources online that provide help in making sure one chooses reputable charities such as Charity Navigator and Charity Watch.
After being hit by some of the largest earthquakes in their countries’ modern histories, Turkey and Syria are on their road to recovery. It will take many resources for them to recover from the earthquakes, and they will be depending on the aid and donations of many organizations from around the world. As time goes on, the recovery efforts will start to improve and reach more of the citizens, but as of now it is unclear exactly how long that will take.