Turkey and Syria have been rocked by two devastating earthquakes this week, with Reuters estimating that the death toll currently stands at over 11,000.
An initial 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border early Monday morning (February 6) at 04:17 AM local time, with a 6.7 magnitude aftershock being felt 11 minutes later.
It has become the deadliest quake in over a decade, after a 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan claimed the lives of almost 20,000 people. Now, Turkey and Syria are experiencing the effects of a major quake on a similar scale, with the death toll steadily increasing.
The initial earthquake could be felt across the world, including as far as Greenland and a 7.5 magnitude tremor then hit the region again as rescue missions were underway, per CNN.
On Tuesday (February 7) another earthquake - at 5.8 magnitude - hit central Turkey. As a result of the two devastating earthquakes, it has been suggested that close to 6,000 buildings have been destroyed across both Turkey and Syria.
Over 54,000 people have been wounded amid the disaster - a figure that includes more than 49,000 in Turkey alone, Forbes reports.
Rescue operations have increased as officials attempt to recover people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was the country's most devastating disaster since 1939 - a year that saw a 7.8 magnitude quake strike Turkey's eastern province of Erzincan, ending the lives of at least 30,000 people, per The New York Times.
"We were sleeping, then we collapsed on the ground, and when it stopped we left the building," said 24-year-old İbrahim Furkan Aydin of the horrific events this week, while speaking to NBC News. He and his mother were visiting from Istanbul and had arrived in Gaziantep on Saturday.
In the wake of the traumatic disaster, hundreds of human rights groups, NGOs, and crisis relief organizations (among others) have rallied together to help those affected in the region (of which Reuters is anticipating could be as many as 13 million).
Unfortunately, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government has been subject to sanctions by the United States and across Europe, which has significantly slowed down the nation's ability to receive aid.
Moreover, in 2022 Russia vetoed a UN resolution that would have extended cross-border aid to Syria. Evidently, even prior to the earthquakes, Syria has long fallen victim to both political and logistical challenges. These have only multiplied in the wake of the natural disaster.
As a result, many countries are apprehensive about funnelling aid through the Syrian government - something that rescue workers on the ground say is already costing them lives, per AP.
Thankfully, there are certain groups that are currently involved in the relief effort in both Syria and Turkey. These include:
- The Red Cross Syria Appeal (working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the British Red Cross has launched an appeal for blankets and other necessities);
- Save the Children (currently working in northwest Syria and Turkey to best assess aid necessary, this group is planning to support affected communities with emergency kits amid the harsh winter weather);
- Doctors Without Borders (this organization is providing immediate emergency support through additional staffing, blankets and kits in northwestern Syria in the wake of the earthquake);
- UNICEF (prioritizing the impact the quake had on water stations and any other interruptions to services, as well as assessing the damages schools face);
- The White Helmets (this volunteer organization is requesting more equipment and supplies to continue numerous search and rescue operations in the region); and
- The International Rescue Committee (an organization that responds to the most serious humanitarian crises).
ShareTheMeal app - founded under the United Nations World Food Programme - is also a tool that has been used by hundreds of thousands of people across the globe to share a meal with someone in need.
Following the earthquakes, the app has a section dedicated entirely to the relief in Turkey and Syria. Users have several payment options - they can buy one meal or several depending on the size of the donation.
Governments from across the world are sending rescue teams and other supplies to the region hit by the quake, with President Joe Biden sharing a statement in the wake of the ordeal.
He said: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria. I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye and provide any and all needed assistance."
