The Turkey-Syria Earthquakes: Their Impact & How to Help
By Aysha Qamar, Content Coordinator at MWP
This past week, Muslim communities around the globe have been following the devastation behind the earthquakes that ripped through Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, and now a second round of earthquakes this past Monday, February 20. We at MWP believe it’s imperative that we aid our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria as soon as possible. We also believe our aid is most effective when we are accurately informed on what’s happening on the ground, how families are affected, and what type of aid is needed most. Read on to learn how those in Turkey and Syria have been impacted and the organizations to support for immediate need…
“Disaster of the Century”
Within days, these devastating earthquakes have quickly become the deadliest since Japan’s 9.0 magnitude quake in 2011, during which more than 20,000 people died. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake is said to be the deadliest in Turkey since 1999; it was followed by another measuring 7.5. As of this report, the death toll in Turkey and Syria due to the Kahramanmaras earthquakes has surpassed at least 47,000. The latest earthquakes death toll is still rising, with six confirmed deaths as of this writing. While details on the latest earthquakes arise, the aftermath of the first quakes are as follows…
As rescue teams desperately attempt to save those impacted, thousands are reportedly still missing under rubble and collapsed buildings. In Syria, civil war, sanctions, and shattered roads, in addition to harsh winter conditions, have led to delays in aid to quake-hit areas.
In a press conference Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "We can call it the disaster of the century,” noting the impact has been seen in more than 10 provinces of Turkey alone.
Drone footage from Reuters depicts how awful the damage is, including some 6,000 collapsed buildings.
Several stories of children being rescued out of the rubble have gone viral, including one case in which an 8-year-old boy was rescued from underneath a collapsed building after being stuck for more than 52 hours.
In another remarkable rescue, a newborn child was retrieved from underneath rubble after a woman went into labor during the earthquake while trapped. While the mother died, the child was rescued from rubble in the Afrin district of Syria's Aleppo governorate, and still connected by the umbilical cord, activists told CBS News.
According to a cousin who spoke to Agence France-Presse, the child is the lone survivor in their immediate family.
According to the Associated Press, tens of thousands of people have lost their homes and have been huddled around campfires in the cold with little to no food and water.
Emergency crews are using pick axes, shovels, and jackhammers to dig through twisted metal and concrete in an attempt to pull out survivors. But that’s not all, volunteers are also working to demolish unsteady buildings in order to prevent more damage.
As several countries come together to assist Turkey, Syria is falling behind. While the United Nations sent its first aid convoy into opposition-controlled Syria Thursday, truck shortages, blocked roads, and other logistical hurdles are impeding efforts by the 100,000-plus rescue personnel working in Turkey, The New York Times reported.
Because of the lack of access to delivering aid to Syria, António Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, urged the Security Council Thursday to agree to allow the U.N. to use more border crossings from Turkey to northern Syria for aid convoys.
This earthquake has been so severe not only due to its magnitude, but the timing as well. According to CNN, it occurred in the early morning when most people were sleeping, and at a time when the cold has resulted in showers and snow—making it more difficult to rescue those under the rubble. These severe weather conditions also worsen the chance of those without food and water getting diseases like hypothermia.
Organizations to Donate to
The following is a list of nonprofits to support- it is not extensive.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is collecting funds for its disaster response emergency fund, which supports “immediate cash assistance” in affected areas.
The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, a nonprofit that has provided healthcare services within Syria and to Syrian refugees in Turkey since 2012. It is seeking donations to fund medical support in north-west Syria, particularly given the great need in the area.
Organizations like the Syrian American Medical Society are collecting funds to support medical efforts in the area, with at least seven of its hospitals and medical facilities damaged due to the earthquake.
Islamic Relief, a faith-based organization that has provided disaster relief since 1984, is providing emergency medical care, shelter and funds to those impacted by the earthquake in Turkey.
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