Causes
- A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 6 Feb 2022 at 4:17 AM local time was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in Turkey. It was centred near Gaziantep in southern Turkey, the quake was felt as far away as Lebanon and Israel. It was the strongest recorded earthquake to hit Turkey in more than 80 years.
- "A second quake - with a 7.5 magnitude - struck hours later between the cities of Ekinözü and Malatya. Throughout Monday, surrounding regions were hit by at least 20 aftershocks." - New York Times
- Similarly, two major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş devastated 10 provinces.
- According to the written statement made by AFAD, 4,323 aftershocks occurred after the earthquakes centered in Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş.
- Similarly, two major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş devastated 10 provinces.
- This was a region where there had not been a major earthquake for more than 200 years or any warning signs, so the level of preparedness would be less than for a region which was more used to dealing with tremors. Therefore, the buildings were not constructed well and strong, and the areas did not include too many new buildings, but rather old traditional ones..
- This earthquake occurred because "two pieces of the Earth are sliding horizontally past each other," Steckler says.
- Tectonic plates are moving north, pushing the Arabian Peninsula into the Eurasian Plate, pulling Turkey apart. "Arabia has slowly been moving north and has been colliding with Turkey, and Turkey is moving out of the way to the west," says Michael Steckler of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
- Due to this more than hundred aftershocks in the regions have been recorded, and experts expect that they will continue for some time. Steckler american business man says “That whole area, all the pieces of the Earth will slowly adjust and break and rupture and come to a new equilibrium,"
Consequences
- According to the latest data, over 41,000 people lost their lives due to the earthquake, thousands more were injured.
"Thousands of rescue workers were digging through debris in freezing conditions in an increasingly desperate search for survivors of the 7.8-magnitude quake." - New York Times
"Thousands of buildings have been destroyed or rendered unstable, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without shelter in rain, snow and temperatures that often dip below freezing. Millions are in need of aid, according to relief agencies; in Syria alone, the United Nations said that the earthquake had affected 10.9 million people and that as many as 5.3 million might have lost their homes." - New York Times
As the quake victims wait for rescue efforts to reach them, the freezing winter weather will have serious consequences as they face bitterly cold temperatures.
The loss of life in Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya and Elazığ was 36,187. While 108 thousand 68 people were injured in the earthquakes, 216 thousand 347 people were evacuated from the affected areas.
To recover from the tragic Turkey earthquake and start rebuilding their lives, Syrian and Turkish communities need international support - your simple act of kindness could make all the difference.
Needs
List of prioritized items by the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency: electrical heaters, gas cylinders, log / coal burners, pocket warmers, power banks, generators, underwear and socks, shoes, jackets, raincoat / poncho, sleeping bag / pillow, beds and bedlinen, single-use cutlery (plates, cups, forks, spoons), pans, kettles, shelf-stable meat, beans or cheese, tea / coffee, cheddar, cheese, olives, water, bread, convenience food
These items are necessary due to low temperatures in the region and a lack of resources from destroyed homes and buildings.
What aid has been launched so far?
Including volunteers, 253 thousand 16 people worked for other needs in the region, according to the statement dispatched to the disaster area. 121 helicopters and 75 aeroplanes made 6,490 sorties for personnel and material transportation to the region. 26 ships were deployed for personnel, material, and evacuation purposes.
INSTALLATION OF 172 THOUSAND 225 TENTS COMPLETED
A total of 283,410 tents, 54,297 containers and 3 million 264,985 blankets were dispatched to ten cities severely affected by the earthquake by AFAD, the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and international organisations and countries. Over 172,225 tents were installed.
According to AFAD, 31 million 256 thousand 211 hot meals, 7 million 499 thousand 136 soups, 19 million 286 thousand 999 water, 36 million 92 thousand 267 bread, 14 million 477 thousand 997 catering materials and 2 million 283 thousand 132 drinks were distributed in the earthquake zone.
The disaster psychosocial support group deployed four mobile social service centers in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, and Malatya. In the earthquake zone, 332 thousand 49 people received psychosocial support, and 90 thousand 795 outside the earthquake zone received psychosocial support.
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