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Huge rescue operations are being carried out in Syria and Türkiye. Here are the essential details.
Kahramanmaras earthquake
In response to the deadly earthquake that occurred on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proclaimed a three-month state of emergency in ten regions.
The scope of the humanitarian situation is becoming more apparent as assistance from all over the world pours in, and aid organizations are issuing warnings about the challenges in both finding survivors and treating the injured.
Here’s the latest:
Rising death toll: As of today, 7,926 deaths and nearly 40,000 injuries have been attributed to Monday’s earthquake, according to officials in Türkiye and Syria. According to agencies, those figures could drastically increase because so many people are still buried under the wreckage.
Rescue efforts: Nations and organizations from all around the world have contributed resources, equipment, and personnel to the situation. According to Doctors Without Borders, it employs 500 people in Syria, some of whom suffered family losses in the earthquake. A US rescue team is anticipated to arrive in the Turkish city of Adana on Wednesday, according to NATO, which reported that its countries are deploying more than 1,400 emergency response workers. Turkey will also receive Mexico’s cherished rescue dogs at this time.
Miracle rescue: A newborn baby girl has miraculously been saved from the ruins of her house in northern Syria. When she was discovered, her umbilical chord was still connected to her mother, a relative said Agence France-Presse. It’s thought that her mother passed away soon after giving birth.
Tough conditions: Rescue operations are being impacted by the severe winter weather. According to the US Geological Survey, at least 125 aftershocks measuring 4.0 or more have happened since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked southern Turkey on Monday. 5.0 to 6.0+ aftershocks are still possible and carry the potential of more harm to already vulnerable structures as well as a continuing threat to rescue crews and survivors, even though their frequency and amplitude are declining.
Massive devastation: Thousands of structures collapsed in the two countries, and relief organizations are now predicting “catastrophic” consequences in northwest Syria, where millions of helpless and displaced people already depended on aid. The Turkish villages of Islahiye and Nurdagi, which are close to the epicenter of the earthquake, had extensive damage, as seen in satellite photographs.
Humanitarian catastrophe: According to the World Health Organization, the earthquake might have a negative impact on up to 23 million people. Syria is in a particularly bad situation; according to the UN, about 70% of the country’s residents required humanitarian aid prior to the earthquake, which has only made the problem worse. The damage temporarily halted UN humanitarian personnel from providing cross-border aid to Syria, but they continued to look for ways to help those in need. Meanwhile, the UNICEF official in Aleppo claimed that hospitals in war-torn Syria are “completely overwhelmed.”
