On Tuesday, the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria left rescuers struggling to dig people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, the deadliest in Turkey since 1999, has claimed the lives of over 5,000 people and left tens of thousands injured or homeless. The earthquake caused thousands of buildings to crumble, including hospitals and schools, and President Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency in the affected 10 provinces.
The harsh winter weather conditions, including fuel and electricity shortages, made the situation even more dire, and aid officials expressed concern for the already embattled Syria, where a humanitarian crisis has been ongoing for nearly 12 years. The death toll in Turkey had risen to 3,419, according to Vice President Fuat Oktay, while in Syria, the death toll was over 1,600.
The earthquake affected roughly 13.5 million people across an area of 450 km from Adana to Diyarbakir and 300 km from Malatya to Hatay. The World Health Organization’s Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that “it’s now a race against time,” as every passing minute reduced the chances of finding survivors.
The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority reported that 5,775 buildings were destroyed and 20,426 people were injured. A large fire was still burning at the southern port of Iskenderun, and drone footage showed dozens of collapsed apartment blocks, suggesting that the death toll was likely to be far greater than current reports.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder stated that the earthquake may have killed thousands of children, as scores of schools, hospitals, and other medical and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed. He called the earthquake the most powerful to hit the region in almost 100 years and stated that Syrian refugees in the northwest and in Turkey are among the most vulnerable.
In the Syrian city of Hama, funerals for multiple families were taking place on Tuesday, with residents describing the scene as “terrifying.” Mosques have opened their doors to provide shelter to families whose homes were damaged. The death toll in government-held areas rose to 812, while in the rebel-held northwest, the toll was over 790. The head of the Syrian civil defence, Raed al-Saleh, stated that the teams are unable to respond to the catastrophe and the large number of collapsed buildings, and that urgent help is needed from international groups. A UN humanitarian official in Syria stated that fuel shortages and harsh weather conditions are creating obstacles for relief efforts.
