Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

Mvk5945@psu.edu

In February, Turkey and Syria were hit by devastating earthquakes, killing thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands injured. A humanitarian crisis has been stirred up in the two countries, with many more people still missing or homeless as a result of the quakes. 

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8, and hit the southern border of Turkey and Northern Syria. The earthquakes were followed by strong aftershocks that could be felt the following day. 

Three weeks after the quake, more definite numbers on the scale of disaster were clear. At least 44,000 people from Turkey and another 6,000 people, mainly from northwest Syria have been reported deceased. 

“Early assessments indicated 5 million people in  Syria require basic shelter and non-food assistance,” stated the Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs at the UN. “In many areas, four to five families are packed into tents, with no special facilities for older people, people with chronic illnesses or those with disabilities.” 

Shelter is one of the primary needs of assistance needed in these countries right now, but it is also not the only necessity. Many buildings in both countries are at risk of collapse, having suffered severe structural damage during the earthquakes. The rising cost of food and essential items is also causing a tremendous struggle for those impacted. 

Additionally, these countries, especially Syria, need assistance importing equipment to deal with the rubble in the wake of the earthquakes. Machinery is needed not only to move the rubble, but also to craft temporary medical facilities and restore access to clean drinking water sources that were damaged. 

In Turkey, the large earthquakes that hit the country, “[C]aused an estimated $34.2 billion in direct physical damages,” according to a World Bank rapid damage assessment report. However, this does not account for the revenue losses the country will face while in this period of reconstruction. 

Two weeks after the original quakes, Turkey was hit again by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the Hatay province. The Mayor of Hatay reported several more buildings collapsing with this quake and the tremors that followed. 

AP News spoke to eyewitness Alejandro Malaver in the city of Adana who said that everyone is really scared and that “no one wants to get back into their houses,” saying some people were taking blankets to sleep in their cars. 

The second quake injured six people with falling debris, but struck fear of being trapped in their homes into many people. The Turkish government has been warning people to stay away from damaged buildings until they have time to be inspected by the rescue team. 

In Syria, the Idlib and Aleppo regions were particularly affected by the 6.4 magnitude quake with buildings collapsing and electricity going out in parts of the region. Additionally, internet service was disrupted. 

Although these disasters now took place several weeks ago, the effects are still largely being felt. The European Union’s health agency is warning of disease outbreaks that are likely to follow. 

“Food and water-borned diseases, respiratory infections and vaccine-preventable infections are a risk in the upcoming period, with the potential to cause outbreaks, particularly as survivors are moving to temporary shelters,” said the Center of Disease Prevention and Controls. “A surge of cholera cases in the affected area is a significant possibility in the upcoming weeks.” 

With all that has been said, it is obvious these countries need aid in the coming weeks to help provide food, shelter, and medical care to those at risk due to the natural disasters. A group of students at Penn State Behrend has recently taken the initiative to being fundraising and finding a way to help

The Turkey and Syria support group is a collaborative effort from many of Behrend’s clubs to fundraise and provide support to those suffering from the natural disasters in Syria and Turkey. Currently, the support group will be placing a donation bin for the cause out at all Lion Entertainment Board events for the duration of the semester. Additionally, keep an eye out for more initiatives the support group puts on to raise funds throughout the semester.