Devastating Earthquakes in Southern Türkiye and Northern Syria, 18 May 2023, Situation Report 22
Situation Report Source IBC Posted 19 May 2023 Originally published18 May 2023
1. Developments
Three months have passed since the devastating earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş. The Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Turkey announced in its latest statement that the death toll from the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş was 50,783, with 107,000 reported injuries. However, these numbers are undoubtedly under representative of the true count as there are many reports from villages where victims who lost their lives were buried without obtaining death certificates from the district prosecutor.
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While aftershocks continue to unsettle the eleven affected provinces, the demolition of heavily damaged buildings is still underway. According to the latest data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the number of people directly affected by the earthquake in the 15.8 million population of the eleven provinces is 9.1 million.
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It is reported that the population in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, and Adiyaman has decreased by nearly half, with 70% of the survivors from the earthquake expected to have disabilities.
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The affected population, trying to sustain their lives in tents and container cities, emphasizes that despite ongoing relief efforts, the needs are still not adequately met. Especially housing, water-sanitation-hygiene, and psychosocial support, as well as protection assistance, are needed.
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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 3 March 2023
3 March 2023
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Yesterday I returned from my visit to Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic.
I was deeply shocked and saddened by the devastation and suffering I saw and heard.
In the Hatay province of Türkiye, almost every building has either collapsed, or is leaning dangerously.
I imagined how terrifying that morning must have been, in the pitch black, the rain and snow, and the awful noise of buildings collapsing and people screaming.
I visited a camp for displaced people, where I met a 67-year-old woman who was trapped under the rubble for three hours before she was rescued.
Her husband was not as fortunate. Her daughter is in hospital and may have to have a leg amputated.
She said she did not know what she will do next.
The suffering is impossible to describe in words or even in pictures. Nothing can convey the depth of grief and loss so many people are feeling.
The destruction is immense; but so is the response of the Turkish government.
During the first two weeks, more than 55,000 people needing care were transported to hospitals all over Türkiye in any way possible – by helicopter, ambulance, and car.
Since the first day, the Minister of Health has been leading the response on the ground in the most affected areas.
The entire Ministry of Health has relocated to the affected zones, and is living in tents, containers and cars, side-by-side with health workers and other responders.
I was so impressed by the dedication and hard work of health workers, both in Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic.
The kind of suffering caused by the earthquake on both sides is similar.
But the risks now being faced by people on the Syrian side are far higher than those living just a few kilometres away on the Turkish side.
The challenges health workers are facing are similar on both sides, but on the Syrian side they are facing them with far fewer resources.
Twelve years of war has destroyed infrastructure, homes and hope.
Drought, economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing cholera outbreak have heaped misery upon misery.
Even before the earthquake, more than 90% of the Syrian people were living in poverty.
The NGOs in the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic welcomed my visit, but expressed their disappointment that I was the first high-level UN official to visit since the beginning of the war.
In Idlib Governate, I met a 15-year-old boy who broke both his arms when he jumped out of a window during the earthquake. He hasn’t been to school since he was nine years old, because of the conflict.
I visited a reception centre where hundreds of people are living with nothing but the clothes they were wearing when they escaped their homes.
People showed me pictures of the children they had lost.
The children who were there were dirty and hadn’t eaten that day. There is nothing for them to do. No toys, no games, no schooling.
For the past decade, WHO has been providing about one-third of medicines in opposition-controlled areas in the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic. That has now risen to two thirds.
On the day of the earthquake, we were able to release supplies quickly from our local warehouses.
So far, we have distributed more than 200 tonnes of aid to health facilities in north-west Syria, and we continue to deliver as much aid as we can in any way we can, whether across borders or across lines of conflict.
The Syrian people have suffered more than most people ever will, or ever could. They have endured and they have shown great resilience in the face of it.
Their needs, dreams and hopes are the same as all people:
For health, food, water, shelter and peace. For a better future for their children.
I call on the international community to dig deep to lift up those in Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic, in two ways.
First, for humanitarian support for both countries, and to support a political solution to establish a lasting peace in the Syrian Arab Republic.
At the same time, I call on the leaders of all sides of the Syrian conflict to use the shared suffering of this crisis as a platform for peace; as an opportunity to make peace.
12 years of war has delivered nothing but division and the destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s proud history and rich culture.
If anything good could come of this suffering, it must be peace.
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Or they were clinging to that mother cat.
Krish @Kriskant6
Ukrainian rescuers found a group of puppies in the rubble of a building. When they took a closer look, they saw that the puppies were protecting the kittens. #earthquake #earthquakeTurkey #turkey #HelpTurkey #DonateforTurkey #DonatetoTurkiye #deprem
9:31 AM · Feb 13, 2023· 512.5K ViewsLeave a comment:
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Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-ea...atay-1.6754357
Another deadly earthquake further devastates hard-hit regions in Turkey, Syria
Turkish interior minister says 3 killed, hundreds injured after 6.4 magnitude quake
The Associated Press · Posted: Feb 20, 2023 12:45 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour ago
A new 6.4 magnitude earthquake on Monday struck parts of Turkey and Syria that were damaged two weeks ago by a massive quake that killed around 45,000 people. Officials said more buildings collapsed, trapped occupants, and several people were injured in both countries, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities.
Monday's earthquake was centered in the town of Defne, about 20 km east of Samandag in Turkey's Hatay province, one of the worst-hit regions in the magnitude 7.8 quake that hit on Feb. 6. It was felt in Syria, Jordan, Israel and as far away as Egypt, and was followed by a second, magnitude 5.8 tremor.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said three people were killed and 213 injured. Search and rescue efforts were underground in three collapsed buildings where a total of five people were believed trapped...Leave a comment:
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Death toll surpasses 33,000 in Turkey, Syria earthquakes as anger builds over response time: Live updates
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I don't think this sanction relief is going to help US Syrians needing to send money to families affected by the earthquakes. A reporter asked Price about this since there is a $400 limit on sending money right now. The Treasury document doesn't seem to license those transactions. They'd have to apply individually to do that, and you can only imagine how long that might take.
Under Pressure Amid Soaring Death Toll, US Eases Syria Sanctions for Earthquake Relief
"We welcome the decision by the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue a broad General License on Syria sanctions," said one advocate.
Jake Johnson Feb 10, 2023
In the face of mounting pressure from rights groups and relief organizations on the ground, the Biden administration on Thursday issued a temporary license authorizing "all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited" by U.S. sanctions on Syria.
The move, announced by the Treasury Department on Thursday evening, amounts to a tacit admission that U.S. sanctions could have impacted the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country following the massive earthquake and dozens of aftershocks that killed more than 21,000 people in Syria and neighboring Turkey.
"As international allies and humanitarian partners mobilize to help those affected, I want to make very clear that U.S. sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of lifesaving efforts for the Syrian people," said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. "While U.S. sanctions programs already contain robust exemptions for humanitarian efforts, today Treasury is issuing a blanket General License to authorize earthquake relief efforts so that those providing assistance can focus on what's needed most: saving lives and rebuilding."
The sanctions relief, which will be in effect for 180 days, came after U.S. officials repeatedly denied that the restrictions would impact humanitarian aid. Earlier Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing that "there are many hurdles to overcome when providing humanitarian assistance in Syria and especially after devastating earthquakes this week, but our Syrian sanctions policy is not among them."
But reporting and accounts from humanitarian leaders indicate that U.S. and European sanctions—which have long harmed Syrian civilians despite ostensibly being targeted at the Assad government—have hampered early aid and recovery efforts, compounding existing difficulties surrounding the delivery of emergency supplies to rebel-held areas of Syria. Freezing weather has also complicated aid and rescue operations.
Khaled Hboubati, the director of Syria's Red Crescent, said earlier this week that "we need heavy equipment, ambulances, and firefighting vehicles to continue to rescue and remove the rubble, and this entails lifting sanctions on Syria as soon as possible."
In a statement Tuesday, the Middle East Council of Churches called for "the immediate lifting of sanctions on Syria and allowing access to all materials, so sanctions may not turn into a crime against humanity."
The Associated Press reported that "in theory, aid operations in government areas should not be blocked by sanctions, since both the U.S. and EU have exemptions for humanitarian aid."
"But the reality on the ground is sometimes different," the outlet noted. "Banks might block transfers to pay suppliers or local workers for aid organizations for fear of running afoul of sanctions, despite the exemptions. Also, U.S. sanctions and to some extent E.U. ones try to prevent rebuilding of damaged infrastructure and property in government-held areas in the absence of a political solution, which could hamper post-earthquake recovery."
Abed Ayoub, director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, wrote on Twitter that "we welcome the decision by the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue a broad General License on Syria sanctions."
"This will ease sanctions and allow for much-needed additional aid into the country," Ayoub added.Leave a comment:
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Twitter Blackout in Turkey amid Earthquake Rescue Operations: The Dangers of Microblogging Outages during Disasters
02/10/2023
By Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University
Twitter was blocked in Turkey on Feb. 8, 2023, according to internet monitoring service NetBlocks. The outage came amid the massive rescue operation and humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the earthquakes in southern Turkey and northern Syria two days earlier. Access to Twitter appeared to be restored about 12 hours after it was first blocked. ...
Almost as soon as the main quake hit, thousands of eyewitnesses posted videos and photos on social media, particularly on Twitter. Such first eyewitness accounts are invaluable in helping emergency relief personnel and researchers assess the extent of damage and match aid to what’s needed on the ground.
The Twitter blackout, which was likely the result of governmental action, appeared to have impeded rescue and relief efforts. NetBlocks noted that internet service providers had been blocking traffic to Twitter, and that people could circumvent the blocking by using a virtual private network, or VPN.
...Humanitarian aid and disaster relief require real-time monitoring, almost immediately after a disaster occurs. Combining Twitter feeds with geolocation data and mapping the extracted informationmakes it possible to visualize an unfolding crisis. Responders can track the locations of damage, casualties and resources to determine how best to target relief efforts.
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Canadian crew helps rescue woman trapped in Turkey earthquake rubble for 5 days
CBC News · Posted: Feb 10, 2023 9:41 AM CST | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago
Rescuers shouted "God is great" and hugged each other on Friday after freeing a woman who was trapped for five days in the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in earthquake-ravaged Turkey.
CBC journalists were on the scene in the southeastern city of Adiyaman as the woman was pulled from the debris, fitted with an oxygen mask, placed on a stretcher and carried to an ambulance.
The woman was trapped under a door in the building in an air pocket, which allowed rescuers to talk to her and provide food and water. ...
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Over 21,000 dead from quake in Turkey and Syria
By Tara Subramaniam, Sana Noor Haq, Ed Upright, Adrienne Vogt, Matt Meyer, Maureen Chowdhury and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 8:43 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023
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Turkey-Syria earthquakes death toll passes 20,000, worse than the Fukushima disaster
UPDATED ON: FEBRUARY 9, 2023 / 11:02 AM / CBS/AP
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Most donations are not getting to the government controlled section of Syria. I heard Ned Price on his high horse about this, so the US must be behind this.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023
More Ways to Help Earthquake Victims Now
Upon the appeal of His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, to respond to the urgent needs of the parishioners, churches, and parishes in the regions of Antioch, Alexandretta, Mersin, Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, following the devastating earthquake, the Patriarchate has formed a relief task force with the aim of implementing emergency response and assistance to those impacted by this great disaster....
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023
Patriarch John, Syrian Christian Leaders Demand End of International Sanctions
As the rescue and relief efforts continue in Turkey and Syria, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, along with the other leaders of Christian churches in Syria, demand the end of international sanctions on Syria so that its people of all backgrounds receive life-saving aid.
Meanwhile, the Antiochian Archdiocese has launched the 2023 Earthquake Relief Fund.
Following the earthquake which struck northern Syria on Monday, February 6, 2023, thousands of Syrians lost their lives, many churches and institutions were destroyed and a large number of families were displaced.
This natural disaster adds to the ordeal of the Syrian people, who continue to suffer from the tragedies of war, crises, disasters, epidemics, and the harsh economic hardships resulting from inflation, the absence of indispensible materials, medications, and daily basic necessities needed in order for people to survive and live in dignity.
We, the three patriarchs with the heads of churches in Syria, demand from the United Nations and the countries imposing sanctions on Syria to life the embargo and the unjust sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, and to take exceptional measures and immediate initiatives to secure the delivery of the much needed relief and humanitarian aid. We also appeal to the conscience of all the people of good will to advocate on behalf of the Syrian people in order to put an end to their misery and enable them to live in dignity as envisioned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We pray for the victims and their families, asking the Lord to grant rest to the souls of the departed and recovery to the wounded. We, likewise, pray for all those working in the fields of relief, rescue, and hospitalization. We appeal to the governments, international organizations, NGOs, charities, and peace advocates everywhere to expedite the support of relief and rescue efforts, irrespective of any political consideration.
Damascus, February 7, 2023
John X Ignatius Aphrem II Joseph I
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Greek Catholic Melkite Patriarch
And the Heads of the Churches in Syria
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WHO Director-General's briefing on earthquake in Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic at the 152nd session of the Executive Board
7 February 2023
العربية
Français
Русский
EspañolThank you, Mike.
Board Chair, Dr Petrič;
Dear Members of the Board;
Member States;
Dear colleagues and friends,
We are all shocked and saddened by the images and reports coming from Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic.
All of us extend our deepest sorrow and sympathy to the representatives of both countries here, and to your people.
I would like to invite you all to stand with me to observe a minute’s silence, to honour those who have been lost, and to remember those who as we speak are desperately searching for survivors.
[A MINUTE’S SILENCE IS OBSERVED]
So far, it is estimated that more than 4 000 people have been killed and more than 18 700 are injured, but we all know that these numbers will continue to rise as the situation evolves.
Of course, what these numbers don’t tell us is the grief and loss being experienced by families right now who have lost a mother, a father, a daughter, a son beneath the rubble – or who don’t know whether their loved ones are alive or dead.
Numbers do not tell us about the perilous situation that many families now face, having lost everything, forced to sleep outside in the middle of winter.
It’s now a race against time. Every minute, every hour that passes, the chances of finding survivors alive diminishes.
Continued aftershocks, severe winter conditions, damage to roads, power supplies, communications and other infrastructure continue to hamper access and other search and rescue efforts.
National officials in both countries are leading search and rescue operations, while anticipating the increased need for trauma care to treat the injured.
The initial focus is on saving lives and caring for wounds.
We are especially concerned about areas where we do not yet have information.
Damage mapping is ongoing, to understand where we need to focus our attention.
We are operating on a “no regrets” basis, with incident management teams rapidly established at national, regional and global levels.
We are mobilizing emergency supplies, and we have activated WHO’s network of emergency medical teams to provide essential health care for the injured and most vulnerable.
WHO is dispatching three charter flights to both countries with medical supplies, including major surgical trauma kits, from our logistics hub in Dubai.
We will work closely with all partners to support authorities in both countries, in the critical hours and days ahead, and in the months and years to come as both countries recover and rebuild.
To our sisters and brothers from Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic, we all stand with you in this moment of unspeakable grief.
This is a moment when we must come together in solidarity, as one humanity, to save lives and alleviate the suffering of people who have already suffered so much.
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Israel to Send Earthquake Aid to Syria After Request Relayed via Russia
By Hana Levi Julian-
16 Shevat 5783 – February 6, 2023
Israel will send humanitarian aid to Syria in response to a request from Syria was relayed through Russia to Israel’s National Security Council on Monday after two massive earthquakes leveled buildings in that country as well as in Turkey, where the epicenters of both temblors were located.
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Israel will send medicine, blankets and tents to Syria in response to Syria’s request for assistance, Israel’s KAN News public broadcaster reported. In addition, Israel is willing to treat Syrians in Israeli hospitals or in Turkish territory, according to Haaretz.
Syria, still officially in a state of war with Israel, was badly damaged in the quakes. The provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, Tartous and Idlib particularly hard-hit, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported...Leave a comment:
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1h ago / 1:59 PM EST
Earthquake death toll soars to 7,266
Daniella Silva
The death toll in Monday’s massive earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to 7,266 Tuesday, according to officials in both countries.
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3 minute readFebruary 7, 20233:56 AM CSTLast Updated 4 hours ago
Explainer: Why was the Turkey-Syria earthquake so bad?
By Gloria Dickie
LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday is likely to be one of the deadliest this decade, seismologists said, with a more than 100 km (62 miles) rupture between the Anatolian and Arabian plates.
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The epicentre was about 26 km east of the Turkish city of Nurdagi at a depth of about 18 km on the East Anatolian Fault. The quake radiated towards the northeast, bringing devastation to central Turkey and Syria.
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Only three earthquakes have registered above 6.0 on the Richter Scale since 1970 in the area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. But in 1822, a 7.0 quake hit the region, killing an estimated 20,000 people
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Compared with the 6.2 earthquake that hit central Italy in 2016 and killed some 300 people, the Turkey-Syria earthquake released 250 times as much energy, according to Joanna Faure Walker, head of the University College London Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction.
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WHAT MIGHT THE FINAL DEATH TOLL BE?
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"It's not going to be good," said Musson. "It will be in the thousands, and could be in the tens of thousands."
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