6th February : Deadly earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, with devastating aftershocks
Early in the morning, on the 6th of February 2023, a massive earthquake hit southern and central Turkey, and northern and western Syria. This mainshock was measured to be a 7.8 on the Mercalli intensity scale, considered to be extreme. Nine hours later, a second earthquake of magnitude 7.7, started 95 km away from the epicentre of the first.
These double shocks are considered to be the deadliest seismic event worldwide since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the fifth-deadliest seismic event of the 21st century.
They were unfortunately followed by a substantial aftershock of magnitude 6.3 on the 20th of February, which hit Antakya, Turkey.
Statistics:
As of the 24th of February, over 50900 deaths have been recorded in total: over 44200 in Turkey and over 6600 in Syria.
The two earthquakes were followed by over 2100 aftershocks
$84.1 billion worth of damage was assessed, making these the fourth costliest earthquakes worldwide
Around 4 million buildings were destroyed in Turkey, including 345000 apartments.
Up to 5.37 million people may have been made homeless in Syria, and 10.9 million were affected (nearly half of the population).
Effects on Turkey and Syria Turkey was the more severely affected of the two countries. Thousands were trapped under the rubble of the fallen buildings, some desperately livestreaming their calls for help on social media. The earthquakes also caused massive damage to historical sites, specifically those in Gaziantep, a city 20 km away from the epicentre of the first earthquake. Mass graves were dug, containing thousands of bodies for some. The president ordered 7 days of national mourning, which were also observed in Cyprus and North Macedonia. Syria was also heavily affected. Due to the lack of rescue teams, vulnerable civilians were stuck under the rubble for hours. In Rajo, a prison facility experienced severely cracked walls and doors, leading to the escape of 20 prisoners. These are believed to be ISIS members.
What can you do to help?
There are many charities appealing for donations, here are a few whom you can donate to:
https://donation.dec.org.uk/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal: DEC charities help by providing medical care, emergency shelter, food and clean water to victims.
https://bit.ly/3IGfo02: UNICEF is focusing on bringing water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition to the victims, as well as helping unaccompanied children locate their parents.
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/turkey-earthquake-relief-fund/: Global Giving helps local non-profit organisations by collecting funds for emergency workers, so that they can bring food, shelter and medicine to the victims.
https://bit.ly/3kz7ZaM: Doctors without Borders helps to provide medical care to the victims.
https://bit.ly/3EE68YM: CARE works in impoverished communities, and helps to provide food, shelter and hygiene kits.
Remember to always check the reliability of a charity or NGO before donating!
Links: