earthquake turkey essay in english

A year in the aftermath of Turkey’s earthquake – a photo essay

Photographer David Lombeida has spent the last 12 months documenting five families as they recover from the immediate devastation of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the south of the country and the harsh realities of rebuilding their lives today

Read more: ‘No one can bring back what we lost’: fear rise in Turkish city ravaged by earthquake

T he living and the dead will soon be side by side on the outskirts of Antakya, where new government housing under construction to house the survivors of last year’s deadly earthquakes overlooks graveyards for those who perished.

“No one can bring back what was lost, as we lost everything,” said İsa Akbaba, who lost seven members of his extended family including his elder sister, Sıdıka, and his younger brother, Musa, during a visit to the cemetary.

Tuesday 6 February will mark a year since twin deadly earthquakes destroyed their homes in Turkey’s southernmost province, wrenching apart buildings as much of Antakya was destroyed. İsa’s mother, Suat Akbaba, was trapped under layers of debris for hours before she was eventually rescued.

Sıdıka and Musa were not so lucky. They are two among the 50,783 people estimated to have died in southern Turkey.

One month after the earthquake, Suat, her son, İsa, and their extended family live in tents outside their destroyed apartment block.

Six months on (left), the family prepares a meal in the outdoor kitchen they built after being displaced and (right) Suat’s niece fetches water to prepare the food for dinner.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan travelled to the earthquake zone soon after the initial destruction, his sleek presidential sedan weaving among wreckage that many blamed on corruption within Turkey’s two-decade construction boom, a hallmark of his rule.

Erdoğan was quick to promise his citizens solutions to the damage, which spanned an area larger than the size of Belgium and the Netherlands combined and cost the country almost 10% of its GDP, according to a parliamentary inquiry. “Our citizens should not worry. We will never allow for them to remain unsheltered,” he told the public during his visit to the quake zone, even as many, like the Akbabas, set up camp outside.

Erdoğan also promised reconstruction at breakneck speed, even as results appeared remote when towering piles of rubble covered swaths of the country.

“We will rebuild these buildings within one year and will hand them back to citizens,” he said , just four days after the earthquakes struck.

For months after the quakes, the grinding of machinery echoed across much of Turkey’s south-east, as workers tore down thousands of former homes and offices across the earthquake zone. Many, like the Akbabas, lived among the rubble. In other places, near the epicentre of the quakes – often those more closely associated with support for Erdoğan – government workers broke ground on new buildings a month after the earthquakes struck.

Because the Akbabas rented their former apartment, they will not be eligible for any of the 319,000 new homes that the president promised will be handed over to citizens.

Like many across Antakya, they are surveilling the empty lots that used to be their neighbourhood and waiting for private reconstruction, doubtful that they will be able to find somewhere they can afford to live amid a nationwide housing crisis and rising inflation.

One year after the earthquake, Suat and Isa mourn the death their family members Sıdıka and Musa in front of a cluster of concrete skeletons – new government housing for others who survived the earthquakes.

The Akbabas have also grown used to mourning. Well into the summer months after the earthquake, they gathered next to the remains of their destroyed apartment block, grateful to be together as a family even as they lived among mounds of rubble and cement dust in a makeshift camp.

Local officials abruptly expelled them from the site in November, dispersing the family into container camps scattered around Antakya’s outskirts. The site of their former building is now a pit filled with construction equipment, ready to build a new apartment building that others could live in.

The Akbabas miss their former apartment, part of the daily suffering wrought by the earthquakes. “Our pain is still fresh,” said İsa.

Kenan Kadı, his wife, Gamze, and their three children lived in their car in Antakya immediately after the earthquake. Kenan and Gamze would stay up all night so their children – Mehmet, Ela and one-year-old Cemre – could sleep in the car.

Kenan, Gamze and their three children in the car where they slept after the earthquake had made their home uninhabitable in February 2023.

(Left) the family shares a meal provided by aid workers with other families days after the earthquake. (Right) six months after the earthquake, Kenan takes a break at his family’s company in Antakya.

Six months on, the family moved to their summer home in Arsuz on the coast where they also accommodated some friends who were displaced from the earthquake. Kenan and his brother Sedat run a business making marble gravestones and countertops at the edge of Antakya. Kenan works during the week and then drives to the coast at weekends to spend time with his family.

Kenan and his family at their summer home in Arsuz in August 2023.

The vision for Antakya’s renewal, a masterplan designed by a consortium of international architectural firms spearheaded by Britain’s Foster + Partners, offers something markedly different from the city’s past.

Sedat Kadı was skeptical about the rebuilding efforts, and neither he nor his brother said they had any interest in buying one of the new apartments despite the offer of government loans.

“The aim of this reconstruction project is to push poor people out of town,” he said. “If the point is to rebuild the centre for the rich and to leave the poor aside, it would be better not to do it at all.”

For Kenan and his brother Sedat, the business of making gravestones and new construction meant the earthquake has created a morbid business opportunity, although they say they are primarily focused on being grateful to be alive. A few months after the earthquakes decimated Antakya, they noticed a sudden overwhelming demand for gravestones. The family business went from manufacturing a couple a week to an estimated four each day, and the deluge of orders continues even as the anniversary approached.

“The earthquake became a reason to work,” he said ruefully. “We don’t know what to pray for: the souls of the dead, more business, or just to be thankful that we’re alive.”

Kenan and his cousin Hasan Emre select a piece of marble for a customer in January 2024.

Although the Kadıs work in construction, they were unconvinced by the new construction on the edge of Antakya, a pilot project offering ringed by posters of gleaming new apartment buildings with offers of government-subsided loans.

The Koyunlu family lived in the small village of Tevekkeli outside the city of Kahramanmaraş. Their home completely collapsed, but Ismael, his wife, Nazire, and their daughter Berivan were able to escape in time.

One month after the earthquake, dead farm animals belonging to a neighbour of the Koyunlu family remain under the rubble.

One month after the earthquake, (left) Nazire and Ismail prepare gas canisters for cooking outside their collapsed home in Tevekkeli and (right) the family share tea in a shed next to their house.

A month after the earthquake, the family were living in a shed next to their former home after retrieving all the belongings that they could from the rubble.

Nazire at the entrance to her home in the village of Tevekkeli in February 2023.

Six months later the family were still living in the shed. They built a deck outside for sleeping, as temperatures can reach over 40C. An excavator removed the rubble of their home, leaving an empty plot.

Erdoğan promised his citizens 319,000 new homes would be delivered by February, with the same amount constructed and supplied the following year.

A spokesperson for the Turkish presidency said in late January that “the construction of a total of 307,000 houses has started. The delivery of a total of 46,000 houses … has started gradually.”

Nazire prepares the beds outside before the sun sets on 19 August 2023.

Yusuf Sr, his wife, Fatma, and their children were at home in the city of Kahramanmaraş when the earthquake struck. The entrance to the house became blocked by falling debris but they were able to escape. They didn’t receive any aid for weeks, and so bought their own tarpaulin, which they used to build a shelter outside their home. At one point, 17 members of Fatma’s extended family were living in the shelter.

One month after the earthquake, the family sit at the shelter that they built outside their destroyed home.

Six months later the government provided the family with a container, but it was too small for all of them to inhabit. It would have also been impossible for Yusuf Sr to run his scrap business from the container city. When asking Yusuf Sr if things have improved, he replied: “The last time you came here we had hope: nowadays we don’t even have that.”

(Left) Fatma is consoled by her son Yusuf outside their shelter on 1 March 2023 and (right) six months on , Fatma tends to her blind son Berat, who is cracking walnuts in his uncle’s home in Kahramanmaraş.

Their youngest son, Berat, 11, is blind. His family cannot afford the medication that he needs. Three years ago, his mother, Fatma, was diagnosed with leukaemia, which has recently progressed to stage four. She had been undergoing state-provided chemotherapy for more than two years. After the treatment she was given her two medicines, which she was told would be free for earthquake victims. However, they turned out to cost over €1,000, which the family also couldn’t afford.

The family spends time on the patio of the home they are renting from a relative on 27 January 2024.

January 2024 (Left) Fatma in her family’s rented house last week. She was diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago. (Right) Yusuf Jr at the container where he sleeps alone.

Engin, his wife, Zeriban, and their newborn daughter Ismihan were at home in Adıyaman when the earthquake hit. After their apartment received substantial structural damage, Engin and his family left the city for the village of Aydınoluk, where he grew up. They shared a communal tent there with 20 family members.

Women prepare food in the village of Aydınoluk, where Engin and his family moved immediately after the earthquake.

One month after the earthquake, (left) Engin stands outside his damaged home; his sister, brother-in-law and their three children were all killed in the disaster. (Right) Engin, Zeriban and Ismihan in August 2023 outside the container given to them by the government in Adıyaman.

They were eventually given a container back in Adıyaman by the government. After six months there, the family moved back into their home after taking out a loan to rebuild it.

Engin spends time with his daughter Ismihan on the patio of their rebuilt home in January 2024.

Across Antakya, posters showing restoration line streets where former ancient mosques, bathhouses and covered markets stood. Some show images of reconstruction that are different in character to what previously stood in the city, a centre of multiculturalism for thousands of years.

For many of Antakya’s residents, the reconstruction is unable to bring back the communities who once made their city unique, many of whom are now dispersed throughout the country or buried in the graveyards that dot its outskirts.At the entrance to Antakya, surrounded by areas now cleared of rubble, the clock tower remains stuck on the time the earthquakes struck: Just after 4am on 6 February, when everything changed for the city, and for the entire country.

All photographs by David Lombeida ; words by Ruth Michaelson and David Lombeida with assistance from Ayça Aldatmaz; picture editing and design by Jim Powell

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Science News

What to know about turkey’s recent devastating earthquake.

The quake, the strongest in the region since 1939, has killed thousands in Turkey and Syria

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey, including the province of Hatay (shown) on February 6, setting off a desperate race for survivors.

Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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By Carolyn Gramling

February 6, 2023 at 5:52 pm

In the early morning of February 6, a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. Numerous aftershocks followed, the strongest nearly rivaling the power of the main quake, at magnitude 7.5. By evening, the death toll had climbed to more than 3,700 across both countries, according to Reuters, and was expected to continue to rise.

Most of Turkey sits on a small tectonic plate that is sandwiched between two slowly colliding behemoths: the vast Eurasian Plate to the north and the Arabian Plate to the south. As those two plates push together, Turkey is being squeezed out sideways, like a watermelon seed snapped between two fingers, says seismologist Susan Hough of the U.S. Geological Survey.

The entire country is hemmed in by strike-slip, or sideways-sliding, fault zones: the North Anatolian Fault that runs roughly parallel to the Black Sea, and the East Anatolian Fault, near the border with Syria. As a result, Turkey is highly seismically active. Even so, Monday’s quake, which occurred on the East Anatolian Fault, was the strongest to strike the region since 1939, when a magnitude 7.8 quake killed 30,000 people.

Science News talked with Hough, who is based in Pasadena, Calif., about the quake, its aftershocks and building codes. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.   

SN : You say on Twitter that this was a powerful quake for a strike-slip fault. Can you explain? Hough : The world has seen bigger earthquakes. Subduction zones generate the biggest earthquakes , as much as magnitude 9 ( SN: 1/13/21 ). But quakes close to magnitude 8 are not common on strike-slip faults. But because they’re on land and tend to be shallow, you can get severe … shaking close to the fault that’s moving.

SN : Some of the aftershocks were very strong, at magnitudes 7.5 and 6.7. Is that unusual?

Hough : As with a lot of things, there’s what’s expected on average, and there’s what’s possible. On average, the largest aftershocks are a full unit smaller than the main shock. But that’s just average; for any individual main shock, the largest aftershock can have a lot of variability.

The other thing people noted was the distance [between the main shock and some aftershocks over a hundred kilometers away]. Aftershock as a term isn’t precise. What is an aftershock isn’t something that seismologists are always clear on. The fault that produced the main shock is 200 kilometers long, and that’s going to change the stress in a lot of areas. Mostly it releases stress, but it does increase stress in some areas. So you can get aftershocks along that fault, but also some distance away. It’s a little bit unusual, but not unheard of.

SN : People have wondered whether Monday’s magnitude 3 earthquake near Buffalo, N.Y., might be related.

Hough : A magnitude 7.8 quake generates [seismic] waves that you can record all around Earth, so it’s technically disrupting every point on Earth. So it’s not a completely outlandish idea, but it’s statistically exceedingly unlikely. Maybe if a seismic wave passed through a fault that was just ready to go in just the right way, it’s possible.

An interesting [and completely separate] idea is that you might get earthquakes around the perimeter of the Great Lakes [such as near Buffalo] because as the lake levels go up and down, you’re stressing the Earth’s crust, putting weight on one side or the other. That’s a source of stress that could give you these pretty small quakes.

SN : The images emerging from this deadly disaster are devastating.

Hough : It’s hard to watch. And it hammers home the importance of building codes. One of the problems that any place is up against is that building codes improve over time, and you’ve always got the problem of older structures. It’s really expensive to retrofit. I expect that earthquake engineers will be looking at the damage, and it will illuminate where the vulnerabilities are [in the area]. The hope is that with proper engineering, we can make the built environment safe.

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Breaking News English Lesson: Turkey-Syria Earthquakes

Home     |     help this site, three-month state of emergency declared in turkey    (9th february 2023).

• Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 1
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• Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 0
• Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 2
• Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 3

The Reading / Listening - Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 1

28 charities that are helping turkey and syria..

There is a three-month state of emergency in Turkey after two deadly earthquakes. The powerful quakes hit nine hours apart. The first was a magnitude 7.5 and the second was 7.8. They are two of the biggest quakes ever in Turkey. They caused a lot of death and damage in Turkey and Syria. Turkey's president warned of a "large number of aftershocks". Search and rescue teams are trying to reach the disaster areas. The conditions and weather are terrible. The world is giving support to Turkey and Syria. The EU sent 1,150 rescue workers. Emergency teams are giving essential health care for the injured people. Mexico sent a team of dogs who are experts in finding survivors. The U.S. president was "deeply saddened by the loss of life". He promised to give "any help that is needed". Germany said: "We mourn with the victims and fear for those buried." Syria has already suffered for years from war.

Try the same news story at these levels:

     Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 0 ,  Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 2   or  Turkey-Syria Earthquakes - Level 3

• https://www. cnbc.com /2023/02/07/turkeys-president-erdogan-declares-state-of-emergency-for-earthquake-hit-regions.html
• https:// thehill.com /policy/international/3847252-turkeys-erdogan-declares-three-month-state-of-emergency-as-earthquake-death-toll-passes-5400/
• https://www. nytimes.com /2023/02/07/world/europe/turkey-earthquake-election-erdogan.html

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Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1.

• There is a three-month state
• The powerful quakes hit nine
• The first was a magnitude
• two of the biggest quakes
• a large number
• trying to reach the
• The conditions and
• hours apart
• of aftershocks
• weather are terrible
• earthquakes
• of emergency
• disaster areas

Paragraph 2

• The world is giving
• The EU sent 1,150 rescue
• Emergency teams are giving
• Mexico sent a team
• experts in finding
• deeply saddened by
• We mourn with
• Syria has already
• the loss of life
• the victims
• essential health care
• support to Turkey

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is a three-month state of emergency in Turkey (1) ___________________ earthquakes. The powerful quakes hit nine hours apart. The first (2) ___________________ 7.5 and the second was 7.8. They are two of the biggest quakes ever in Turkey. They caused a lot of (3) ___________________ in Turkey and Syria. Turkey's president warned of (4) ___________________ of aftershocks". Search and rescue (5) ___________________ to reach the disaster areas. The conditions and (6) ___________________.

The world is (7) ___________________ Turkey and Syria. The EU sent 1,150 rescue workers. Emergency teams (8) ___________________ health care for the injured people. Mexico sent a team of dogs who are (9) ___________________ survivors. The U.S. president was "deeply saddened (10) ___________________ of life". He promised to give "any help that is needed". Germany said: "We mourn with the (11) ___________________ for those buried." Syria has already (12) ___________________ from war.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thereisathree-monthstateofemergencyinTurkeyaftertwodeadlyea rthquakes.Thepowerfulquakeshitninehoursapart.Thefirstwasamag nitude7.5andthesecondwas7.8.Theyaretwoofthebiggestquakeseve rinTurkey.TheycausedalotofdeathanddamageinTurkeyandSyria.Tu rkey'spresidentwarnedofa"largenumberofaftershocks".Searchandr escueteamsaretryingtoreachthedisasterareas.Theconditionsandwe atherareterrible.TheworldisgivingsupporttoTurkeyandSyria.TheEU sent1,150rescueworkers.Emergencyteamsaregivingessentialhealt hcarefortheinjuredpeople.Mexicosentateamofdogswhoareexpertsin findingsurvivors.TheU.S.presidentwas"deeplysaddenedbythelossof life".Hepromisedtogive"anyhelpthatisneeded".Germanysaid:"Wem ournwiththevictimsandfearforthoseburied."Syriahasalreadysuffere dforyearsfromwar.

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STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________ (e) ________________ (f) ________________ (g) ________________ (h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________ (j) ________________ (k) ________________ (l) ________________ (m) ________________ (n) ________________ (o) ________________ (p) ________________

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Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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What We Know About the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

As the death toll rises in the one of the deadliest quakes in decades, a global humanitarian aid effort faces deep challenges.

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By The New York Times

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in early February killed tens of thousands of people, flattened wide areas of cities and sent the region, which was already grappling with a refugee crisis and over a decade of war , into a monumental recovery effort.

As of Feb. 24, the death toll in Syria and Turkey had surpassed 49,000. In Turkey, the authorities said that more than 43,000 people had died; in Syria, the death toll crossed 5,500, according to figures from the United Nations.

Thousands of buildings were 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 as many as 5.3 million might have lost their homes.

In the bitter cold, rescue workers pulled thousands of survivors from the rubble, but experts say that the chances of rescuing more decline sharply a few days after a quake. Even after that period, there have been some miraculous rescues . In recent days, desperation has increasingly set in as the rescue missions have turned to recovery.

The situation for survivors in both Syria and Turkey is dire, with people reluctant to return to their homes and using bonfires of wreckage to stay warm , huddling in cars and suffering frequent power outages and shortages of fuel. They are also short on food and medical supplies.

Turkey has imposed a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces, and the national emergency agency has distributed a huge quantity of tents and mobilized thousands of vehicles, including excavators, cranes and tow trucks, with the help of more than 230,000 relief workers. Dozens of countries have sent teams and supplies, and a makeshift health care system has sprung up.

The quake zone in Turkey stretches across more than 200 miles, from the Mediterranean in the south across mountains and to the east-central highlands and into northwestern Syria. Snow-covered mountain passes, buckled highways and buildings that collapsed over roads have all delayed the arrival of rescue teams and aid.

Getting help to Syria has been complicated by the country’s civil war, the division of territory in its northwest and the acrimonious relations between President Bashar al-Assad and many Western nations.

The United Nations’ secretary general, António Guterres, has announced the launch of a $397 million humanitarian appeal for Syria over three months.

The Syrian border

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the only United Nations-approved crossing to bring international aid into northwestern Syria was, for a time, not functioning because of damage in the area , according to U.N. officials.

Some food, clothes, blankets and other supplies have arrived — received by exhausted and frustrated rescuers and doctors who say it is still not nearly enough, especially in a region where many people were displaced by war and struggling to survive before the earthquake.

The United Nations’ top aid official said on Feb. 12 that aid efforts so far had “failed the people of northwest Syria.”

“They rightly feel abandoned,” the official, Martin Griffiths, wrote on Twitter from the Turkey-Syria border.

Rescue workers in northwestern Syria say that without more help from the outside world, there was little they could do. “We felt helpless, just helpless,” said Ali Obeid, 28, a member of the White Helmets civil defense group that operates in parts of the opposition-held northwest.

Much of the international aid to Syria from the United Nations and other agencies flows through the capital, Damascus, allowing the government of Mr. al-Assad to limit what goes to opposition-held areas. United Nations agencies must get permission to then deliver some of the aid across front lines, to opposition-held areas, requests that are often denied.

On Feb. 13, Mr. al-Assad agreed to the opening of two additional border crossings from Turkey into opposition-held territory in northwest Syria to allow the United Nations to deliver humanitarian relief.

The decision, which would let aid flow for three months, was the first time that Mr. al-Assad had cooperated in opening opposition-held territory to such assistance since Syria’s civil war began in 2011.

The Syrian government has blamed U.S. sanctions for deepening the humanitarian disaster the country has suffered since the earthquake. Those sanctions do not target humanitarian aid, and the State Department has rejected calls to lift them , saying that aid efforts were not impeded by the policy.

The earthquake

The 7.8-magnitude temblor, striking in the early hours of Feb. 6, was Turkey’s deadliest earthquake since 1939 , when more than 30,000 people were killed, and among the deadliest worldwide in decades.

A powerful aftershock of magnitude 7.5 followed, and experts warned that there could be more — posing potential risks to the structural integrity of unstable buildings in the earthquake zone.

Turkey’s two main fault zones, the East Anatolian and the North Anatolian, make it one of the most seismically active regions in the world, and more than 70 quakes of magnitude 6.5 or higher have been recorded in the region since 1900.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, where around half a million Syrian refugees were living, and much of the city was left in ruins. Much of Antakya, the capital of Turkey’s Hatay Province — known as Antioch to the people of ancient Greece and Rome — was destroyed, with whole neighborhoods in ruins , including the oldest part of the city. Rebuilding cities, where possible, will take years , at least a decade, experts say.

Reporting was contributed by Vivian Yee , Ben Hubbard , Cora Engelbrecht , Matina Stevis-Gridneff , Gulsin Harman , Safak Timur , Jin Yu Young , Raja Abdulrahim , Natasha Frost , Mike Ives , Hwaida Saad , Henry Fountain , Alan Yuhas , Farnaz Fassihi and Farah Mohamed .

The Failures of Turkey’s Earthquake Response

M ore than 37,000 people have died and tens of thousands have been injured as a result of the devastating earthquakes that impacted northwestern Syria and Turkey on Feb. 6.

The earthquakes—the deadliest in the world since Japan’s Fukushima in 2011—caused more than 5,600 buildings across southeastern Turkey to collapse, leaving people without shelter, and in great need of food, blankets, and fuel to leave the city and find safety. 10 provinces in Turkey are currently under a state of emergency for the next three months.

The Turkish government has received criticism for its disaster response—or lack thereof. In the hours following the catastrophe, there were no military forces sent to affected areas, leaving people to fend for themselves. Several residents reportedly attempted to get in contact with the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), but were unable to do so successfully.

A resident of the badly-hit Turkish city of Antakya called the government’s response “shocking,” saying that there were minimal professional rescue teams or equipment from the government in the first two and a half days. He says that many family members that were able to get out of buildings during the earthquake stayed behind waiting for emergency response teams to arrive and help rescue family members still alive under the debris.

“You could hear people who were still alive under the rubble, trying to scream and say they were alive, but there was absolutely no one helping at that moment,” he says.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged his government’s shortcomings in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, saying that it was not “possible to be prepared for such a disaster.” The government initially had issues at airports and roads, but promised that things were now “under control.”

But that hasn’t stopped critics from pointing out that in the days following the earthquakes, Erdogan was seemingly focused on censorship and political goals. Here are the three biggest criticisms of the government’s response effort, and preparedness, so far:

Limiting access to Twitter

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, people took to social media to share their location, in hopes that rescue efforts would soon arrive . When no one did, many lashed out at the Turkish government for its poor disaster response, sharing photos and videos of what was happening on the ground.

Turkey then temporarily banned Twitter for 12 hours from Wednesday afternoon to early Thursday, largely limiting the contact survivors on the ground had with others.

Erdogan, who is seeking reelection in May, said he blocked access to the platform to stop disinformation from spreading and expressed outrage at the criticism the Turkish government faced. “In such a period, I cannot tolerate the viciously negative campaigns for the sake of simple political interests,” Erdogan said.

In October, Turkey passed a law that claimed to work to “criminalize the spread of misinformation.” But a Brookings report reveals the law actually functions as a way for the government to moderate social media platforms. People can receive up to five years in jail for posting false information that “disrupt[s] Turkey’s domestic and external security,” or “public order.”

The decision to restrict Twitter is reminiscent of a similar circumstance in 2014 , when the platform was previously banned after it spread leaked audio recordings of Erdogan ordering his son to transfer millions of dollars of cash out of the house when he learned authorities were raiding politicians’ homes.

Carrying out arrests

On Wednesday, Turkish authorities announced they arrested five people and put another 18 into custody for “provocative posts” related to the earthquakes, according to the Wall Street Journal . Law enforcement said that they had also identified more than 200 social media accounts that posted about the aftermath of this natural disaster, likely criticizing the government for its response.

Many have questioned why authorities were prioritizing arrests and taking down Twitter during a time of great devastation.

“Twitter has been an absolute lifeline in the aftermath of the earthquakes, both for rescuers to seek assistance and coordinate the provision of rescue equipment, and by those seeking missing loved ones,” Alp Toker, the director of internet-monitoring group Netblocks, told the Washington Post. “There is no obvious replacement to fill the gap.”

Negligent infrastructure practices

Turkey, which is located between two tectonic plates, has dealt with earthquakes for centuries, though this disaster is one of the strongest to impact the country since 1999, when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed more than 17,000 people.

That earthquake prompted the Turkish government to establish an earthquake tax and improve construction standards to better prepare for quakes. But experts told TIME that many newer buildings were not built up to code , and older buildings did not meet the set caliber.

“In terms of regulations, Turkey has the most state-of-the-art code in [the building] design process,” said Dr. H. Kit Miyamoto, a structural engineer at ​​Miyamoto International. “It’s the application where we have big problems. Both for the building capacity and regulation consistency.”

Miyamoto told TIME that because construction is a substantial industry in Turkey, the government often turns a blind eye to regulation. And economic differences between Eastern Turkey and Western Turkey means infrastructure standards have also vastly differed, making the impacted region even more vulnerable to quakes and the aftershocks.

This has affected the medical attention people have been able to receive following the quakes, with reports of medical centers like the Iskenderun Devlet Hastanesi hospital— which had an estimated 300 people inside—turning into rubble when disaster struck.

That lack of regard for building safety has angered thousands, inciting much of the public outrage Erdogan is trying to avoid.

“It’s not safe at all. The city here is totally destroyed. Basically there’s no one building that is not affected by this,” the Antakya resident says. “Even if a building stayed standing, it is still not safe to live in.”

Correction, February 16

The original version of this story misstated the location of two maternity centers supported by Doctors without Borders that were forced to evacuate due to the risk of collapse. They were in Syria, not in Turkey.

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• NATURE BRIEFING
• 07 February 2023

Daily briefing: The science underlying the Turkey–Syria earthquake

• Flora Graham

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The earthquake destroyed buildings in the town of Jandaris, near Afrin, Syria. Credit: Rami al-Sayed/AFP/Getty

The science of the Turkey–Syria earthquake

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria in the early hours of yesterday morning. The quake was followed by a magnitude-7.5 event some 9 hours later, as well as more than 200 aftershocks. The earthquakes did not come as a surprise — most of the region sits between two major faults, the North Anatolian Fault and East Anatolian Fault . Many people who die during earthquakes are killed by falling bricks and masonry — and lots of buildings in Turkey are vulnerable masonry structures packed close together. The situation is even worse in Syria, where almost 12 years of conflict have decimated building standards. More than 5,000 people are known to have lost their lives, and aftershocks and freezing temperatures mean the death toll is expected to increase.

Nature | 4 min read

WHO moots a treaty for vaccine equity

The World Health Organization (WHO) is discussing what would be the first legally binding treaty intended to avoid the deep divides revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic , which saw low-income countries struggle to secure vaccines. The draft suggests a network for distributing drug ingredients, temporary waivers on intellectual-property rights and rapid data sharing. It also includes a “bold” proposal for governments to set aside an as-yet-unspecified percentage of their gross domestic products for international aid. Researchers say that it’s an ambitious attempt, but that it doesn’t do enough to ensure compliance.

Nature | 5 min read

Quantum computing, now with atoms

In the race to build practical quantum computers, systems based on individual neutral atoms are moving toward the front of the pack. For years, quantum bits (qubits) made from either superconducting loops or trapped ions have been the frontrunners. Increased computing power came from cramming more and more qubits into devices. This has limits because each qubit needs a separate controlling unit, and it can be tricky to get the right qubits to interact at the right time. Now, neutral-atom qubits can be created in bundles of hundreds, held in place and manipulated by laser beams called optical tweezers. Once an underdog, the technology’s pace of improvement has surprised researchers . “The path to scale to thousands of atomic qubits is clear and will likely happen within two years,” says physicist Chao-Yang Lu.

Nature | 7 min read

Features & opinion

What generative ai means for science.

Some scientists now frequently use generative artificial-intelligence (AI) systems, such as ChatGPT, to help them write and edit manuscripts, check their code and brainstorm ideas. But the excitement about the use of such tools is tempered with apprehension , because of their propensity to make factual errors, reproduce biases in training data and provide fuel for fakery. They also rely on humans to tag reams of violent, abusive and other horrific content so that it can be filtered out, and require a huge amount of energy to train. Researchers are grappling with these issues, in part by urging more regulation and transparency.

Nature | 12 min read

POLL: WHAT’S YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CHATGPT?

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How to go beyond publication metrics

Tracking citations in policy documents, measuring innovation outputs such as patents or citations, and looking at whether studies line up with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are some of the ways to capture how research benefits society . All of these methods have downsides, and none are as globally prevalent as academic citation metrics — but there’s a good reason to keep tackling the tricky task of assessing societal impact, says science-policy researcher Paul Nightingale: “If you could do proper evaluations, the return on investment [into science] would be very high.”

Nature | 11 min read

Smart microscopes adapt to samples’ quirks

Sample-adaptive microscopes are allowing scientists to peer deeper into living tissues than ever before. Their optics can adjust on the fly using software and components such as deformable lenses to counteract effects that usually blur images, such as wriggling mouse embryos and transient events in tissue. For laboratories that don’t have access to the often expensive, custom-built components, computational methods can extend the capabilities of conventional microscopes. “That’s kind of the future of autonomous microscopy — letting the microscope decide when and where and how to act on specific events,” says developmental biologist Kate McDole.

Where I work

Credit: Felipe Vallejo/Equilibrio Azul

Cristina Miranda is a scientific coordinator at Equilibrio Azul, a non-profit organization in Ecuador, where she studies critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles ( Eretmochelys imbricata ). “In this image, we have just attached a transmitter to a baby turtle — a first for hawksbill turtles this young and in the eastern Pacific region,” she says. “Our findings have overturned assumptions that neonates were just carried along by currents,” says Miranda. “We found that one-day-old turtles can swim against the current.” They aim for a specific direction — north by northwest — and have been tracked swimming roughly 2,000 kilometres. ( Nature | 3 min read ) (Felipe Vallejo/Equilibrio Azul)

Quote of the day

“you had this thought of how your life would play out. it’s what you prepared for. but now you’re going to live a lot longer.”.

Pulmonologist Manuela Cernadas notes that some people with cystic fibrosis, who had expected to die young, are making the complicated transition to a much longer life expectancy, thanks to the drug therapy Trikafta. ( The New York Times | 7 min read )

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00373-x

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The victory could be yours if you enter EU-LIFE and Nature ’s essay contest. The Utopia Institute of Research seeks your answer to the question, what does a perfect research institute look like? The authors of the three best stories, identified by an international jury of scientists and writers, will be invited, with paid travel, to present their essays at the EU-LIFE 10th Anniversary Conference in Portugal. The author of the best essay will be awarded a prize of €5,000 (US$5,300) and possible publication in Nature — two runners-up will receive €2,500 each. Find out more here .

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Last updated: March 11, 2024

2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake

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• How to Help

On Feb. 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in southern Turkey near the northern border of Syria. This quake was followed approximately nine hours later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake located around 59 miles (95 kilometers) to the southwest.

The first earthquake was the most devastating to hit earthquake-prone Turkey in more than 20 years and was as strong as one in 1939, the most powerful recorded there. It was centered near Gaziantep in south-central Turkey, home to thousands of Syrian refugees and the many humanitarian aid organizations also based there.

The country of Turkey is  recognized in English as Türkiye  by the United Nations (UN).

Syria’s current complex humanitarian emergency is among the largest humanitarian crises in the world and the earthquake has only exacerbated the situation and vulnerabilities.

One year on, although some reconstruction has begun and philanthropy has been generous in its response, much of the affected areas are still in ruins . One in three children displaced by the earthquake is still homeless , needs in Syria remain high and survivors continue to deal with the impacts of the disaster, including the mental trauma .

On Feb. 27, 2024, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, told the UN Security Council , “But in Syria, where the conflict is about to hit the 13-year mark, it is clear that much more is still needed to address the long-term humanitarian impact of the earthquakes. This includes ensuring the full restoration of basic services, and the provision of adequate and appropriate shelters, particularly for displaced pregnant women and girls.”

(Photo: Members of the Turkish Armed Forces conduct search and rescue efforts after the earthquake, Feb. 7, 2023. (Source: Republic of Türkiye Ministry of National Defence via Twitter )

By March 1, 2023, more than 11,000 aftershocks occurred according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) .

One obstacle in providing aid in Syria is that the government does not control all the northwest, the area hardest hit by the earthquake. Coordinated assistance by the UN to Syria’s northwest arrives across the border from Turkey, while Damascus is where assistance is coordinated within the rest of government-controlled Syria.

In the month of December 2023, 494 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies passed through Bab Al-Hawa, 52 through Bab Al-Salam and one through Al-Rai. On Nov. 13, 2023, Syria reportedly approved the renewal of the three-month authorization for aid to travel through the Bab Al-Salam and Al-Rai border crossings.

In January 2024, several aid agencies issued a statement raising concerns “over the vulnerability and long-term sustainability of the modality.” Currently, access through Bab Al-Hawa depends on the Syrian government’s approval, which has occurred in six-month periods.

Latest Updates

Feb. 5, 2024

What we’re watching: Weekly disaster update, February 5

Oct. 31, 2023

Announcing grants to support Turkey-Syria earthquake recovery

July 27, 2023

How do you recover from a massive earthquake? What’s next in Turkey and Syria?

Feb. 27, 2023

What we’re watching: Weekly disaster update, February 27

Feb. 23, 2023

The Patterson Foundation Contributes $375,000 to CDP’s Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund

• The earthquakes and underlying vulnerabilities resulted in the deaths of at least 56,000 people in Turkey and Syria . Local actors reported that authorities stopped counting and this figure is most likely much higher. Aid workers were among those killed .
• The humanitarian community estimated that 8.8 million people lived in areas most affected by the earthquake in Syria. Overall, 170 sub-districts in 43 districts in 10 of Syria’s governorates were impacted by the earthquake. Prior to the earthquake, more than 15 million people in Syria were already in need of assistance in 2023.
• At least 230,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed across 11 provinces in Turkey and at least 10,600 buildings were completely or partially destroyed in northwest Syria. In Aleppo alone, around 3,500 buildings were damaged and need structural repair and 700 buildings were classified as unsafe.
• According to the World Bank’s Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) Report , direct damages in Turkey from the earthquakes are estimated at $34.2 billion. The report says the reconstruction costs “will be higher depending on the extent of new construction codes and guidelines being used.”
• The Syria Earthquake 2023 Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) found that the country’s real gross domestic product was expected to contract by 5.5% in 2023 following the February 6 and February 20 earthquakes.
• The Syria Earthquake 2023 RDNA said physical damages caused by the earthquake were estimated at $3.7 billion, while losses were estimated at US $1.5 billion. The total estimated impact to US $5.2 billion. The GRADE Report for Syria had estimated $5.1 billion in direct physical damages. The RDNA estimated recovery and reconstruction needs across the six assessed governorates at $7.9 billion.
• In earthquake-affected provinces of Turkey, about 40% of households live below the poverty line , compared to 32% nationwide. It is estimated that this rate could rise to more than 50%.
• UNDP said the earthquakes generated at least 10 times as much rubble in Turkey as the last big Turkish earthquake in 1999. Both affected countries face the daunting task of disposing of hundreds of millions of tonnes of rubble, some of it potentially harmful.

Existing humanitarian crisis worsened

In northwest Syria, the hardest hit area of the country, 4.1 million people already depended on humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes.

According to UNOCHA , “In 2022, 85 per cent of households [in Syria] were unable to meet their basic needs, with a disproportionate impact on populations with vulnerabilities compounded by age, gender, and/or disability. In a country where only 59 per cent of hospitals, 57 per cent of primary health care facilities and 63 per cent of specialized centres were fully functional before the earthquake, this earthquake will result in a further collapse of basic services, and significantly delay any scope for recovery.”

The 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Syria said, “The socioeconomic situation has continued to deteriorate, further exacerbated by the February earthquakes, negatively impacting social cohesion, and amplifying vulnerabilities.”

The Syrian complex humanitarian emergency is characterized by nearly 13 years of ongoing hostilities and their long-term effects, including large-scale internal and cross-border displacement, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, and significant violations of international humanitarian law.

In the wake of the earthquakes, there was a lull in fighting; however, as detailed in a March 23 briefing to the UN Security Council , UN officials warned of the slow rise in shelling exchanges, rocket fire and crossline raids by terrorist groups. The UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria told the Security Council on Dec. 21, 2023, that violence is raging in all theatres of Syria.

For more on Syria’s CHE, see CDP’s Syria Humanitarian Crisis disaster profile .

Food insecurity

According to Syria’s 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview , at least 12.9 people across Syria need food assistance. By October 2023, the food basket cost had doubled compared to January 2023 and had quadrupled in two years.

On June 13, 2023, WFP said it would be forced to end food assistance to 2.5 million Syrians in July 2023 if donors did not provide at least $180 million to fund programs through 2023. On Dec. 4, 2023, WFP announced it would end its main assistance program in Syria in January 2024.

A post-earthquake rapid needs assessment on agricultural livelihoods and production in northwest Syria conducted by FAO found that more than a third of the key informants reported damage to community-level agricultural structures and up to 80% reported damage to agricultural equipment in their village. Agriculture is a major source of livelihood in these communities, raising concerns about affected people’s ability to provide for themselves.

In Turkey, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that the earthquakes caused $6.7 billion in losses and damage to crops, livestock production, food stocks, agricultural infrastructure and assets.

FAO also said that the earthquake severely impacted 11 key agricultural Turkish provinces affecting more than 15 million people and more than 20% of the country’s food production.

These damages will have a knock on effect on food security in the country. Meeting the food security and livelihood needs of underserved populations in Turkey is a challenge, especially in rural areas and informal settlements.

Ongoing disaster risk

According to ACAPS, new earthquakes are among the worst-case scenarios for the region because they could impact humanitarian needs and the ability to meet them. Damaged buildings are at high risk of collapse, and survivors may continue to experience ongoing fear while also beginning to deal with lasting trauma .

On Feb. 20, 2023, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed three people and injured 213 in southern Turkey. On Feb. 27, 2023, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook southern Turkey , causing damaged buildings to collapse and killing at least one person.

Following the earthquake, a dam collapsed in northwestern Syria, causing the overflow of the Orontes River . The flood led to the displacements of people from the village of Al-Tlul in Idlib governorate. Approximately 7,000 people were evacuated, and 1,000 houses flooded across the nearby villages of Hardana, Delbiya, Jakara and Hamziyeh.

On March 15, 2023, floods caused by heavy rains resulted in the deaths of 15 people in the southern Turkey provinces of Sanliurfa and Adiyaman. Two people died in Adiyaman when waters swept away a container home where a group of earthquake survivors was living. Some people were evacuated from a waterlogged campsite where earthquake survivors were sheltering in tents.

On March 18, 2023, heavy rainfall and storms affected northwest Syria, destroying around 600 tents and damaging 897 . Most of these tent sites were created for displaced people following the earthquakes.

The floods are an example of an indirect and cascading disaster impact that humanitarians must account for while trying to minimize risk as they provide assistance and begin recovery.

Earthquakes are among the most devastating natural hazards. Turkey’s two main fault zones make the region one of the most seismically active in the world . Natural hazards only become disasters when they interact with a human society or community, referred to as vulnerability in disaster studies.

In this disaster, vulnerability looks like poorly constructed buildings that do not meet modern earthquake building standards, thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey or displaced people in northwest Syria that live in informal settlements, destruction of infrastructure within Syria after years of war and aerial bombings, an ongoing complex humanitarian emergency in Syria due to conflict, and a cholera outbreak .

For these reasons, the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria cannot be called a “natural disaster.” While natural hazards, such as earthquakes, are inevitable, their impact on society is not . People affected by the disaster know this instinctively due to their lived experience. One shop owner in southern Turkey said, “We knew that we lived in an earthquake zone. It’s not fate. People are to blame for making weak buildings .”

Funders can help minimize the impact of this unfolding disaster and additional disasters in Turkey and Syria by advocating for safe building construction, supporting risk communication campaigns, investing over the long-term to ensure full recovery that incorporates risk reduction, and strengthening preparedness and resilience.

At least 10,600 buildings were completely or partially destroyed in northwest Syria. In Aleppo alone, around 3,500 buildings are damaged and need structural repair and 700 buildings were classified as unsafe.

According to the World Bank’s Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation Report , direct damages in Turkey from the earthquakes were estimated at $34.2 billion. The total direct damages are mostly damages to residential buildings ($18 billion or 53% of total). The report said that based on global experience, “recovery and reconstruction costs will be much larger, potentially twice as large” as the $34.2 billion figure.

The GRADE Report for Syria estimated $5.1 billion in direct physical damages. The World Bank says, “Direct damages to residential buildings account for nearly half of total damages (48.5% of the median value or US$2.5 billion), while damages in non-residential buildings (e.g., health facilities, schools, government buildings, and private sector buildings) account for one third of the total impact (33.5% or US $9.7 billion).”

Additionally, the GRADE Report for Syria found that “Aleppo (population of 4.2 million) was the most severely hit governorate with 45% of the estimated damages (US$2.3 billion) followed by Idlib (37% or US$1.9 billion) and Lattakia (11% or US$549 million).”

Cash assistance

As with most disasters and emergencies,  cash donations  are recommended by disaster experts as they allow for on-the-ground agencies to direct funds to the most significant area of need, support economic recovery and ensure donation management does not detract from disaster recovery needs and quickly re-establishing access to basic needs.

According to a REACH rapid assessment in February 2023 involving 604 communities in northwest Syria, multi-purpose cash assistance was the top priority need among affected communities. In Turkey, humanitarians were urged to emphasize the importance of transitioning from in-kind aid provision to cash response .

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy recommends cash both as a donation method and a recovery strategy. Direct cash assistance can allow families to purchase items and services that address their multiple needs. It gives each family flexibility and choice , ensuring that support is relevant and timely. Cash-based approaches to disaster recovery also give people the freedom to choose how they rebuild their lives and provide a pathway to economic empowerment.

CALP Network compiled information and advice for those involved in cash and voucher assistance programming in Turkey and Syria drawing on learning from comparable crises. The CALP Network published a report on the scale-up of cash coordination for the Syria earthquake response in October 2023. While identifying challenges in the response, the report also “found an effective cash coordination steered by a well-organized cash working group sharing timely and clear guidance to its members and across sectors.”

Striking without warning, earthquakes often are among the most devastating natural hazards. The aftermath of an earthquake can bring immediate and long-term health impacts, especially in lower-middle-income countries. This is especially concerning in the context of Syria where a cholera outbreak was spreading before the earthquake.

Many hospitals in northwestern Syria were left non-operational due to damage from the earthquake , and patients were stranded. In their Sept. 13, 2023, northwest Syria situation report , UNOCHA said, “nearly a third of 601 health facilities in north-west Syria are non-functional, 67 of them were damaged by the earthquakes.”

Water, sanitation and hygiene issues were pressing in Turkey as well, with data showing a high number of people per toilet and shower ratios within affected area campsites. There are also concerns about increasing health issues within tent camps.

The gap in access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities can lead to poor health outcomes , the spread of diseases and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. Scaling up services for sexual and reproductive health and violence against women, girls and other individuals in situations of vulnerability is another need.

Livelihood and food security

In the Syria earthquake Flash Appeal launched by the UN and humanitarian partners, one of the three strategic objectives was to “support livelihoods and basic services in areas affected by the earthquake.”

In addition to cash assistance, strengthening livelihoods is important, considering Syrian households have gradually lost their purchasing power while food prices have almost doubled since last year.

Very little funding had been committed to support socioeconomic early recovery. An ongoing need is to support small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives and local farmers to resume economic activity, including income-generating activities in the most affected areas.

The NGO Support to Life said in their Turkey earthquake Aug. 17, 2023, situation report , “Enhancing support mechanisms for improving economic conditions in the earthquake-affected region is becoming crucial. Small and medium-sized businesses, cooperatives, local farmers, and workers have been particularly negatively affected.”

Mental health and psychosocial support

The earthquake affected people already displaced and will result in new displacements, which are a significant change in people’s way of life, perhaps including loss of livelihood, extreme poverty and damaged social support structure. Because of the ongoing conflict, displaced Syrians also may have post-traumatic stress disorder.

The number of people with mental health conditions is expected to increase post-earthquake while also limiting access for many people in need to the already scarcely available mental health services in Syria. According to UNOCHA, in northwest Syria, 994,500 persons have a mental disorder , and 229,500 have severe mental disorders. However, only 24 psychologists were available in the area.

Survivors of the deadly earthquakes are forced to deal with lasting trauma . In northwest Syria, psychological first aid, case management and safe service points are overwhelmed with rising needs .

At the one-year mark since the quake, survivors continued to deal with the mental trauma associated with the disaster. Challenges accessing ongoing mental health treatment and social stigma remained.

Protection and support for marginalized populations

After a disaster, protecting marginalized individuals and ensuring access to their basic rights are immediate priorities.

According to UNOCHA , “Gender inequality exacerbates the impact of disasters, and the impacts of disasters exacerbate gender inequality and vulnerability. Of particular concern are vulnerable women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities who are disproportionally affected. Learning from other similar contexts, the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse will likely increase with the limitation of mobility in the earthquake response, disruption of social safety nets and the lack of information around confidential reporting mechanisms makes it difficult for survivors (including children) to access whatever response services remain operational.”

Due to the layout and population density of some settlement sites, women and girls face increased protection risk of exploitation and abuse. In many of such sites, a lack of sex-segregated toilets, overcrowding, and an absence of privacy in water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and tent areas, has led to an increase in sexual violence risks, particularly against women and adolescent girls.

The Turkey Protection Sector Post-Earthquake Inter-Agency Needs Assessment Round 7 interviewed 3,803 earthquake-affected households between July 6-29, 2023. Key findings included about half of all respondents reported feeling adequately informed about their rights and the services available in Turkey (compared to 56% in Round 6). Also, in the previous six months, 90% of respondents attempted to access services and among these, 44% reported not being able to access them.

CARE, a humanitarian organization, released its first Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) Brief for the earthquake . The RGA “explores existing gender, age and disability data and information to understand pre-existing vulnerabilities and capacities and how best humanitarians can respond to meet people’s different needs.” Recommendations to humanitarian actors, international non-government organizations and AFAD include:

• Collaborate with relevant local and national actors, including women-led organizations and women’s rights organizations who are often leading GBV prevention and response efforts.Assess sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment risk factors and integrate these into program planning and ensure all stakeholders have been informed about services and referral pathways.

The Disability and Inclusion Task Force shared with CDP in June 2023 that underfunded areas include special needs rehabilitation, physiotherapy, assistive devices and prosthetics; access to services through transportation, interpretation and receiving health reports; studies to explore the needs and challenges of people with disabilities nationally; and training on disabilities and inclusion mainstreaming.

Almost 417,000 older people are classified as the most “at-risk” group in northwest Syria, especially those living in poverty and providing care to other household members.

A report published by HelpAge International and Action for Humanity in February 2024 revealed that exclusion from the workforce leaves older people marginalized and older people with disabilities struggle to earn respect or recognition. Older people emphasized the need to prioritize initiatives that promote their self-reliance.

Organizations led by and serving LGBTQIA+ people in Turkey and northwest Syria face operational challenges and most operate and provide assistance through formal and informal networks. LGBTQIA+ people in these contexts face discrimination and are often unable or unwilling to seek assistance or are actively excluded from receiving assistance. Reaching LGBTQIA+ people needs to be done through NGOs focused on this population, networks or local partners who are LGBTQIA+ friendly.

There was a significant increase in racism against refugees in Turkey, affecting their ability to access and receive assistance and also negatively impacting tasks such as obtaining bank accounts, credit, dealing with suppliers or for children facing racism and verbal and physical violence in schools. Targeted assistance and support for this group of people are needed.

The significant damage to community infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals, religious facilities, and housing in Turkey and Syria will require immediate and long-term assistance.

According to the Syria earthquake Flash Appeal , “The earthquake has not only resulted in additional displacement due to damaged/unsafe shelter but has also diminished the prospects for safe return of IDPs originally from earthquake-affected areas. Safe shelter will be one of the main needs in the aftermath of the earthquake.”

The government of Turkey focused on establishing more formal sites and phasing out informal sites, however, it could take more than two years for people to move out of these informal and formal settlements and into their homes.

Evacuations from tent areas to containers have been ongoing since June 2023. Formal container sites in Turkey were being expanded as households from formal tents continue to be relocated.

The Turkey Earthquakes Recovery and Reconstruction Assessment outlines a set of key principles “to ensure that the recovery from the earthquake is resilient, inclusive, green and sustainable.”

In February 2024, IFRC and the Shelter Cluster released a lessons learned report from the earthquake response. It is projected that many of the earthquake-affected populations will continue to live in temporary shelters for the next three to four years, until they have more permanent options available. The report’s recommendations include improving the livability in temporary shelters, focusing on light repairs of low-damaged buildings, improving the participation of local organizations and ensuring protection concerns are addressed.

Although local and national governments are responsible for building codes and ensuring they are enforced, philanthropy can support efforts to reduce vulnerability in the built environment through research, advocacy and safe reconstruction.

CDP has a Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund that supports earthquake-affected families and communities as they work to rebuild and recover.

Contact cdp, philanthropic contributions.

If you would like to make a donation to the CDP Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund , need help with your disaster-giving strategy or want to share how you’re responding to this disaster,   please contact  development.

(Photo: The Turkish Army supports search and rescue efforts in Turkey after the earthquake, Feb. 6, 2023. Source: Republic of Türkiye Ministry of National Defence;  via Twitter )

Recovery updates

If you are a responding NGO, please send updates on how you are working in this crisis to [email protected].

We welcome the republication of our content. Please credit the  Center for Disaster Philanthropy .

Philanthropic and government support

On Feb. 16, CDP hosted a webinar, “ A layered disaster: Supporting long-term recovery in Turkey and Syria .” Speakers shared the latest information, including critical needs and gaps, and provide concrete takeaways for funders to effectively support relief and recovery efforts now underway.

The following are examples of grants CDP has provided through its Turkey and Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund :

• $199,680 to Aman Project in 2023 to support vulnerable earthquake-affected LGBTQIA+ refugees in Turkey with temporary shelter, cash assistance and support accessing services to ensure their basic needs are met and they are able to recover their lives and livelihoods.
• $250,000 to Building Markets Ltd in 2023 to provide marginalized refugee entrepreneurs with tools and financial recovery plans to restart their small businesses, supporting the economic recovery of their own households and their employees.
• $200,000 to Guardians of Equality Movement in 2023 to combat the psychological and economic impact on the most vulnerable earthquake-affected LGBTQIA+ populations in southeast Turkey and northwest Syria and build their long-term resilience.
• $750,000 to Hayata Destek Dernegi/Support to Life in 2023 to work with earthquake-affected communities in Turkey to implement 90 community-identified projects t hrough the survivor and community-led approach .
• $40,000 to MapAction in 2023 to provide essential maps and data insights after the earthquakes to assist partners, including United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination and the World Health Organization, in responding to the humanitarian emergencies in Turkey and Syria.
• $350,000 to Menekşe Organizasyon Sosyal ‎Yardimlaşma Ve Dayanişma Derneği (Violet Organization of Relief and Development) in 2023 to support vulnerable earthquake-affected communities, especially women and youth, to rebuild their livelihoods and resilience following the devastating earthquake in Syria.
• $750,000 to Sened Derneği in 2023 to provide multi-sectoral and integrated shelter, protection, education and livelihood support to the most vulnerable earthquake-affected individuals, with a particular focus on children, older adults and people living with disabilities.
• $500,000 to Toplum Kalkinma Derneği in 2023 to reconstruct the marketplace in Jandairis, creating a vibrant, inclusive hub for commerce, trade and entrepreneurship, fostering economic growth, community development and social cohesion post-earthquake.

The Council on Foundations published a list of resources to guide the philanthropic response to the Turkey and Syria Earthquake. Candid is tracking the global response to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and, as of March 4, 2024, there are 520 grants and pledges worth more than $495 million, including 465 grants worth $289,027,690 and 55 pledges worth $205,938,679.

Of the $493 million, around 94% were added to Candid’s database within three months of the disaster. This is in line with what is typical after a disaster – a surge of giving followed by a slowdown the farther we get from the event. More support is needed for recovery, and philanthropy is uniquely positioned to provide this support given its ability to be flexible and innovative and to operate on different timelines than other donor groups.

The UN and humanitarian partners launched an earthquake Flash Appeal for Syria covering February to March 2023. The Flash Appeal requests $397.6 million to reach 4.9 million people and is complementary to the 2022-2023 Syria Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). As of July 20, 2024, donors had funded 100% of the Flash Appeal; however, the HRP was only 37.8% funded as of Feb. 5, 2024.

An earthquake Flash Appeal for Turkey was announced on Feb. 17, 2023, and covered February to April 2023. Turkey’s Flash Appeal requests $1 billion to reach 5.2 million people. As of March 4, 2024, donors had funded 55.3% of the Flash Appeal.

The UN’s Connecting Business Initiative Network in Turkey was actively involved in the response. The network is mobilizing its regional federations to support efforts on the ground. An example of corporate engagement is the partnership between the International Organization for Migration, Amazon and the UPS Foundation,  which led to deliveries of humanitarian aid to the earthquake zone in southeast Turkey and northwest Syria.

On Feb. 9, 2023, the World Bank announced $1.78 billion in assistance to help with Turkey’s relief and recovery efforts. Immediate assistance totaling $780 million will be provided and an additional $1 billion in operations is also being prepared.

Governments around the world were quick to respond to requests for international assistance , including Arab countries. A day after the earthquake, the United Arab Emirates announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance.  Alliance reports that governments and charities across Asia have also been mobilizing to respond to the earthquakes’ devastation.

U.S. President Joe Biden “ authorized an immediate U.S. response ” in the aftermath of the earthquake. On Feb. 10, 2023, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) pledged $85 million for shelter, cold weather supplies, food, water and healthcare. Samantha Power, the USAID director, deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team. On Feb. 19, 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $100 million in aid for Turkey and Syria.

The European Commission said on March 20, 2023, it would support Turkey with $1.07 billion (€1 billion) to help with reconstruction . Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, also pledged more than $115 million (€108 million) in humanitarian aid for Syria at the opening of a donors’ conference in Brussels.  On March 21, 2023, around $7.5 billion (€7 billion) were pledged by the international community at the “ Together for the people of Türkiye and Syria” International Donors’ Conference .

More ways to help

CDP has also created a  list of suggestions  for foundations to consider related to disaster giving. These include:

• Prioritize investments in local organizations : Local humanitarian leaders and organizations play a vital role in providing immediate relief and setting the course for long-term equitable recovery in communities after a disaster or crisis. However, these leaders and organizations are mostly under-resourced and underfunded. Grant to locally-led entities as much as possible, especially considering the vast majority of the NGOs in the northwest Syria NGO Forum are Syrian-led. In northwest Syria, the response and recovery is very much locally-led and these organizations need flexible and stable funding. When granting to trusted international partners with deep roots in targeted countries, more consideration should be given to those that empower local and national stakeholders.
• Take the long view: Even while focusing on immediate needs, remember that it will take some time for the full range of needs to emerge. Be patient in planning for disaster funding. Recovery will take a long time and while recovery efforts can begin immediately, funding will be needed throughout. The latest humanitarian response plans now include planning, prioritizing and implementing recovery activities.
• All funders are disaster philanthropists: Even if your organization does not work in a particular geographic area or fund immediate relief efforts, you can look for ways to tie disaster funding into your existing mission. If you focus on education, health, children or vulnerable populations, disasters present prime opportunities for funding these target populations or thematic areas.
• Ask the experts: If you are considering supporting an organization that is positioned to work in an affected area, do some research. CDP and  InterAction  can provide resources and guidance about organizations working in affected communities.

See them all

Earthquakes

Striking without warning, earthquakes often are among the most devastating disasters. Caused by the movement of plates along fault lines on the earth’s surface, earthquakes often leave a monumental path of instant death and destruction.

Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

CHEs involve an acute emergency layered over ongoing instability. Multiple scenarios can cause CHEs, like the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, the man-made political crisis in Venezuela, or the public health crisis in Congo.

Disaster Phases

Disasters affect millions of people and cause billions of dollars in damage globally each year. To help understand and manage disasters, practitioners, academics and government agencies frame disasters in phases.

There’s Nothing Natural about Turkey’s Earthquake Disaster

Erdoğan’s akp failed to plan for a catastrophe—but did create a strategy to use this catastrophe to stay in power.

Turkey and Syria earthquake, 2023. Image credit: twintyre / Shutterstock

The current crisis in Turkey is not a natural disaster but a political one. We knew that a massive earthquake would hit southeastern Turkey. For many years, several geologists have not only specified where the fault line would most likely break but also which individual settlements the ensuing earthquake would target. No one can pretend that the February 7 earthquake in Turkey was unexpected, yet thousands of people still died due to this disaster. 

The area affected by the earthquake is roughly as big as Indiana or Portugal. It hit 10 out of the 81 provinces in Turkey, which contain the hometowns of 13.4 million people and 3.3 million households, approximately 16 percent of Turkey’s total population. 

According to the initial official count, at least 6,444 residential buildings collapsed due to the earthquake. According to my calculations, based on the Turkish Statistical Institute’s recent National Building Survey , roughly 60,000 people lived in those buildings. So no one should be surprised if the final count hits a six-digit number, and it will likely exclude many undocumented Syrian immigrants, currently the target of a hate campaign by the Right in Turkey.

Constituting 9 percent of the national economy in 2021, this region was also one of the fastest growing portions of the country economically with a flourishing manufacturing base. It produced roughly 10 percent of Turkey’s manufacturing output, while these 10 provinces together have grown their share in the country’s manufacturing output by 27 percent since 2004. Gaziantep, the biggest industrial producer among them, raised its share in the nation’s manufacturing output by 42 percent. 

The Turkish public wants answers. Why did government agencies respond so ineffectively to the earthquake? And how did the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) set the stage for “the mass destruction” of tens of thousands of innocent souls?

Government in absentia

The government failed (or chose not) to mobilize its resources within the first three days of the aftermath. This failure, or decision, inflated the number of fatalities due to many factors, including hypothermia. Over two dozen informants in my years-long research project in Gaziantep in the 2010s have verified that in their cities, no government agency reached out to the victims, even in city centers, to conduct, initiate, or at least coordinate rescue efforts in the critical hours and days after the earthquake. Many people died because there was no access to the simplest equipment such as pneumatic breaker hammers (or people who could operate them). 

Turkey is not a poor country. It has significant financial resources, sufficient technological infrastructure, and a relatively well-educated, trained workforce to intervene effectively and quickly in such disaster zones. It has NATO’s second-largest standing army and the eleventh-largest in the world, with 425,000 active personnel . 

Furthermore, the Ministry of Interior’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) had an annual budget of roughly U.S. $600 million in 2022. And the AKP, which has been in government since 2002, has collected roughly $36.5 billion in taxes or “the special communication tax” for a so-called “earthquake fund”, while it is not clear where and how the AKP spent this resource or whether this resource is still available to help the victims.

The AKP also takes pride in the fact that Turkey is “one of the largest humanitarian donors globally, spending billions of dollars.”  Turkey ranked first in the world in terms of the proportion of its GDP devoted to foreign aid in the late 2010s and second only to the United States in terms of the amount of money spent on foreign aid. So if Turkey had these resources to spend and billions of dollars in the government’s budget for earthquake relief, why should it still need to solicit money from the public now to help earthquake victims? 

The answer may be the AKP’s desire to bypass civil society’s efforts to directly reach out to earthquake victims because they are aware that it shows the people the incapacity of the government to effectively govern the country. Thanks to social media, millions of people in Turkey immediately sought alternative ways to help. Because many of these citizens believe that the AKP would pocket donated aid, and the “earthquake taxes” they have paid since the early 2000s seem to have vanished, they are now reluctant to donate money to government agencies. 

A republic of corrupt contractors

People in Turkey are particularly frustrated by the poor enforcement of construction codes that set the stage for the disaster .

As of now, we do not know how many of the collapsed buildings were built after the AKP came to power in 2002. But we know that 51 percent of the population in these 10 cities resided in buildings constructed after 2001 . The internet is saturated with videos of collapsing buildings that were only a decade old. In addition, friends, family members, and former research informants verify that there is no evidence that newer buildings outperformed older ones in terms of earthquake resilience. These onsite observations may be disproved, but this question remains: why has the AKP government let the older buildings sit on their lots for the last 22 years even though we knew that this disaster was going to happen? 

The answer to this question is not “the lack of resources.” First, Euronews in collaboration with the Chamber of Architects of Turkey has calculated that the $36.5 billion collected as a “special communication tax,” intended to establish an earthquake relief fund, was enough to cover the construction costs of roughly 1.3 million 1,000-square-feet or 93-square-meter of housing units. To put this figure into perspective, the region affected by the earthquake had roughly 1.5 million residential buildings. 

Second, private construction contractors have made exorbitant profits during the AKP era. Profits that could have been properly taxed to enforce the construction codes and renew the older building stock. Turkey has spent a significant portion of its national savings on construction since the early 2000s: approximately 1.05 million residential buildings with two or more floors were built in the first fifteen years of AKP rule. When the party came to power in 2002, the construction industry produced roughly 5 percent of the national value added. These figures grew, with a short interruption due to the 2008 global financial crisis, reaching 9.5 percent in 2017. 

In other words, the construction industry doubled its share of the national economy under the AKP government, while the related figures for the global average declined for the same time period from 6.2 percent to 5.5 percent. 

This marked a massive transfer of wealth to a coalition of construction contractors and manufacturing exporters. My calculations based on the Turkish Revenue Administration’s (TRA) construction cost index used for tax appraisal purposes and the Turkish Statistical Institute’s data on the registered value of new buildings for 2003–2017 illustrate a growing gap between the construction costs and the registered value of those new buildings: 1.05 million residential buildings constructed in this period were worth $515 billion, a figure equal to 60 percent of the Turkish GDP in 2017.

But the government chose not to use this growing pie as a resource to renovate older buildings, and builders chose investing in new construction projects, a much more profitable enterprise than fixing the older residential buildings.  If the ratio of the total registered value of the residential buildings constructed in 2003 to their total construction cost had remained the same for 2003–2017, the registered total value of the 1.05 million residential buildings constructed in these 15 years should have been $416 billion. Had the multistory residential buildings been built to the highest safety standards between 2003 and 2017 and the contractors of these buildings accrued the same profits as they did in 2003, new construction would have earned roughly $99 billion less than the actual amount they pocketed in this period. 

In short, consumers paid extremely high sales taxes for “the earthquake fund” in the last two decades, only to find themselves buried under the wreckage of their own homes. But the contractors pocketed additional tens of billions of dollars. It could have been different, though. The AKP government could have either used that 36.5 billion in “the earthquake fund” or taxed that $99 billion to rehabilitate older buildings and properly enforce the construction code.

One relevant question is, of course, where this $99 billion came from. The answer is a globalized financial market. Like China and many other export-oriented economies, Turkey buried a significant portion of its growing export revenue in the ground. And a major reason for this massive misuse of resources was the lack of perspective, creativity, and perseverance of the small- and medium-sized manufacturing exporters, many of whom made small fortunes thanks to the cheap labor of millions of industrious workers. Instead of using their growing manufacturing export income for high-tech and environmentally friendly investment projects, manufacturers chose to buy real estate as a way to save the value of their swiftly accumulating wealth. 

In other words, the construction business in Turkey is a very costly and primitive form of banking for the nouveau riche.

The result of this real estate frenzy has been the mushrooming of vacant housing units all over the country. According to estimates done by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, 400,000 to 700,000 of the housing units in Istanbul are vacant; this corresponds to roughly 2 percent of the entire housing stock in the country. There is no reason to believe that the situation is fundamentally different in other cities, so the share of the national housing stock’s vacant residential units could be as high as 10 percent. This is particularly alarming because the urban poor in Turkey’s metropolitan regions suffer from a severe housing crisis .

The massive wealth transfer from workers to manufacturing exporters and then to construction constructors has been one of the reasons why the AKP government has let the real estate frenzy flourish since the early 2000s. As the earthquake bitterly reminds us, this vicious cycle has not only constricted the distribution of income and wealth in the country but now cost thousands their lives.

Disasters and elections

The AKP came to power in 2002 after a 1999 earthquake in the northwestern region of the country that cost 18,373 people their lives and an economic crisis in 2001 that was the most severe in the history of the Republic. Much like the current earthquake, the 1999 disaster hit one of the economically most vibrant regions of the country and was one factor in triggering the economic crisis two years later.

The AKP seized upon the 1999 earthquake as a political metaphor. Both Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the current president of Turkey, and the Islamist media called the disaster a sign of “the collapse of the state” (See Yeni Şafak ).  Some Islamists even dared to frame the disaster as God’s punishment for the debauchery of women who were not in hijab. In other words, both parties used the earthquake and the financial crisis to justify the moral and economic merits of a prospective Islamist government. 

The parallels between these incidents and what is happening now resonate for many in Turkey. Per capita income in Turkey has been declining for nine years, and the 2023 earthquake was even more devastating than the one in 1999. Could this dual crisis lead to a revolt at the ballot box just like the one in 2002 that brought the AKP to power—but in reverse? The regime certainly thinks so. There are the presidential and parliamentary elections this year, and Erdoğan’s clique has been working on a “damage control” strategy since the moment the earthquake struck. In the wake of a brief TV appearance roughly 10 hours later, Erdoğan disappeared for 25 hours, even as people buried under the wreckage waited for help. The Erdoğan government seemed not to use this time to coordinate rescue efforts but to re-frame their election and propaganda strategy. 

Putting all the pieces together, five components seem to make up the backbone of their master plan. 

The first is to prevent the victims’ frustration from taking over the national political agenda. An emphasis on the magnitude of the earthquake by government officials and government-led media is part of this tactic. The government right now is working to convince the public that they could not have done anything to save the people since the earthquake was exceptionally severe. 

Second, there are strong signals on social media that Erdoğan and his clique are refining and disseminating a conspiracy theory: that the United States triggered the earthquake with its advanced military technologies. 

A third and similar component is to present anonymous civilians, not contractors, the government, or the real criminals, as “looters,” the “bad apples” of an otherwise glorious nation, at the center of a hate campaign. Erdoğan dedicated a significant portion of his February 10 speech in Adıyaman to the condemnation of looters, establishing a symbolic link between them and his political opponents. As he promised his audience, “we will allow neither the looters nor those, who turn our pain to a political looting strategy, to achieve their goals.” This rhetoric is very dangerous, literally blaming the victims in disaster-struck regions, some of whom, in the absence of government assistance, have to procure basic needs such as food, clean water, or diapers from the closed supermarkets and grocery shops nearby. 

After Erdoğan’s speech, social media was filled with disturbing reports and videos of civilians severely beaten up by the police. In one reported case, an alleged looter died in the police station after he, according to the official report , “hit his head to the wall when he was under arrest.” Mobs joined law enforcement in this anti-looter campaign. In one video , the corpses of three young men were piled up on the street by mob members, who killed them to allegedly protect their decades-old furniture and appliances. In another video of the same incident , the law enforcement officers are seen to be simply standing by while the mob was cheerfully taking pictures and videos of the corpses as a symbolic trophy of their victory.

The fourth part of the plan is to use the disaster to curb democratic rights before this year’s election. The AKP government declared a three-month-long state of emergency in the earthquake zones, where roughly 16 percent of the population resides. Kurds and Alevis account for a major portion of these voters, and Kurds’ votes will likely play a decisive role in election results. Polls consistently show that the two election blocs—respectively led by Erdoğan’s Islamist party and the social democratic main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP)—have close voting shares. 

So no one should be surprised if the AKP government turns the earthquake into a part of its broader voter suppression strategy, just as it did a few years ago: during the two-year-long nationwide state of emergency after the failed coup attempt in the summer of 2016, the Islamist government silenced the opposition to pass constitutional amendments in 2017 that helped Erdoğan to consolidate his strongman regime. Importantly, if the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) supports the main opposition’s election bloc, Erdoğan’s election coalition will likely lose the election; if they can be swung to the AKP, it will win.

Finally, the AKP government will also use the disaster to promise investment that will consolidate its support among the owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing and construction industries. It is notable that one of Erdoğan’s first post-earthquake promises was not to swiftly save victims from the wreckage but to reconstruct those collapsed buildings “in one year.” 

Similarly, in his first press declaration one day after the earthquake, Mustafa Varank, the Minister of Industry and Technology and Erdoğan’s right arm, joyfully stated that “the earthquake did not affect the industrial facilities in the region and this is good news.” Varank also knows that the immediate problem before him is not a humanitarian crisis but the economic consequences of the disaster for SME owners: without their support, the AKP government cannot stay in power. 

In other words, the parallels between the conditions before the AKP’s rise to power in 2002 and the current circumstances are strong, and Erdoğan’s clique has a well-thought-out political and economic strategy that makes the earthquake the centerpiece of their path to victory in the next election. We can only hope that Turkish voters see through it, establishing the connection between this disaster and decades of corrupt policies this time and making a firm decision about what they want for their own future.

Utku Balaban is Associate Professor in the Department of Race, Intersectionality, Gender, and Sociology at Xavier University.

Utku Balaban

Associate Professor of Sociology, Xavier University

One thought on “ There’s Nothing Natural about Turkey’s Earthquake Disaster ”

Excellent research. That was my point from the beginning. Turkey is riche why does it call for international help. I believed who needed help are the poor Syrians, falling between a tyrannical ruling and the earthquake.

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Earthquake Essay for Students and Children

500+ Words Essay on Earthquake

Simply speaking, Earthquake means the shaking of the Earth’s surface. It is a sudden trembling of the surface of the Earth. Earthquakes certainly are a terrible natural disaster. Furthermore, Earthquakes can cause huge damage to life and property. Some Earthquakes are weak in nature and probably go unnoticed. In contrast, some Earthquakes are major and violent. The major Earthquakes are almost always devastating in nature. Most noteworthy, the occurrence of an Earthquake is quite unpredictable. This is what makes them so dangerous.

Types of Earthquake

Tectonic Earthquake: The Earth’s crust comprises of the slab of rocks of uneven shapes. These slab of rocks are tectonic plates. Furthermore, there is energy stored here. This energy causes tectonic plates to push away from each other or towards each other. As time passes, the energy and movement build up pressure between two plates.

Therefore, this enormous pressure causes the fault line to form. Also, the center point of this disturbance is the focus of the Earthquake. Consequently, waves of energy travel from focus to the surface. This results in shaking of the surface.

Volcanic Earthquake: This Earthquake is related to volcanic activity. Above all, the magnitude of such Earthquakes is weak. These Earthquakes are of two types. The first type is Volcano-tectonic earthquake. Here tremors occur due to injection or withdrawal of Magma. In contrast, the second type is Long-period earthquake. Here Earthquake occurs due to the pressure changes among the Earth’s layers.

Collapse Earthquake: These Earthquakes occur in the caverns and mines. Furthermore, these Earthquakes are of weak magnitude. Undergrounds blasts are probably the cause of collapsing of mines. Above all, this collapsing of mines causes seismic waves. Consequently, these seismic waves cause an Earthquake.

Explosive Earthquake: These Earthquakes almost always occur due to the testing of nuclear weapons. When a nuclear weapon detonates, a big blast occurs. This results in the release of a huge amount of energy. This probably results in Earthquakes.

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Effects of Earthquakes

First of all, the shaking of the ground is the most notable effect of the Earthquake. Furthermore, ground rupture also occurs along with shaking. This results in severe damage to infrastructure facilities. The severity of the Earthquake depends upon the magnitude and distance from the epicenter. Also, the local geographical conditions play a role in determining the severity. Ground rupture refers to the visible breaking of the Earth’s surface.

Another significant effect of Earthquake is landslides. Landslides occur due to slope instability. This slope instability happens because of Earthquake.

Earthquakes can cause soil liquefaction. This happens when water-saturated granular material loses its strength. Therefore, it transforms from solid to a liquid. Consequently, rigid structures sink into the liquefied deposits.

Earthquakes can result in fires. This happens because Earthquake damages the electric power and gas lines. Above all, it becomes extremely difficult to stop a fire once it begins.

Earthquakes can also create the infamous Tsunamis. Tsunamis are long-wavelength sea waves. These sea waves are caused by the sudden or abrupt movement of large volumes of water. This is because of an Earthquake in the ocean. Above all, Tsunamis can travel at a speed of 600-800 kilometers per hour. These tsunamis can cause massive destruction when they hit the sea coast.

In conclusion, an Earthquake is a great and terrifying phenomenon of Earth. It shows the frailty of humans against nature. It is a tremendous occurrence that certainly shocks everyone. Above all, Earthquake lasts only for a few seconds but can cause unimaginable damage.

FAQs on Earthquake

Q1 Why does an explosive Earthquake occurs?

A1 An explosive Earthquake occurs due to the testing of nuclear weapons.

Q2 Why do landslides occur because of Earthquake?

A2 Landslides happen due to slope instability. Most noteworthy, this slope instability is caused by an Earthquake.

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essay on turkey and syria earthquake 2023

The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in 2023 is still fresh in our minds. In this blog post, we will discuss the effects of the earthquake, its aftermath and how it has impacted the lives of people living in both countries. We will also look at what can be done to help those affected by this tragedy and how we can prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future.

Introduction

The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on 6 February 2023 was one of the strongest in the region in more than 100 years. With a magnitude of 7.8, it caused devastation across both countries and tragically killed more than 2,000 people. This disaster has highlighted the fragility of life and the need for both countries to take steps to reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters. The impact of the earthquake on Turkey and Syria is still being assessed, but it is clear that both countries will require a significant amount of support to rebuild their infrastructure and revive their economies. Additionally, the international community must continue to provide aid to those affected by this tragedy.

Impact on Turkey

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake had a devastating impact on Turkey, with more than 2,000 people killed and entire apartment blocks destroyed in dozens of cities. In Izmir, the third-largest city in Turkey, buildings collapsed and more than 1,000 people lost their lives. The quake also triggered landslides in many villages, while causing extensive damage to infrastructure such as bridges, roads and water systems. In Ankara, the capital of Turkey, hundreds of buildings were damaged and the city was left without power for several days. There were also reports of power outages in Istanbul as well as in other cities across Turkey. The economic impact of the earthquake is expected to be considerable with estimates suggesting that it could take many years for affected areas to recover.

Impact on Syria

The impact of the earthquake on Syria was devastating. At least 1,444 people were killed and 3,500 were injured, according to figures from the Damascus government. The health ministry reported that more than 326 people had been killed and 1,042 injured. The quake caused major damage across dozens of cities in the country, including Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Damascus. This destruction compounded the devastation already caused by over 11 years of civil war in Syria. Homes were destroyed, roads were blocked and power lines were cut off, further disrupting essential services like water and electricity.

Causes of the Earthquake

Earthquakes are caused by the movements of tectonic plates, great segments of Earth’s crust that are dragged about by convection currents in the mantle beneath. On November 1, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the northern border of Syria and southern Turkey. The epicenter was in the Aegean Sea, near the cities of Izmir in Turkey and Latakia in Syria. The quake resulted from a northward thrust of the African plate against the Eurasian plate. This collision between two tectonic plates caused energy to release and travel outwards from the epicenter, resulting in strong shaking that caused significant damage to both countries.

Aftermath in Turkey

The devastating earthquake brought down whole apartment blocks in Turkish cities, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced. In the aftermath, emergency responders, aid workers, and volunteers swiftly mobilized to provide relief to the affected population. Thousands of tents have been set up to provide shelter for those who have lost their homes, while medical personnel have been providing care to the injured. The government has also been providing aid and support, including helping survivors fill out insurance claim forms and offering financial assistance to those affected by the quake. The country is now slowly rebuilding its infrastructure and homes in an effort to restore normalcy for its citizens.

Aftermath in Syria

The aftermath of the earthquake in Syria was devastating. Drone images showed flattened buildings and city blocks in the town of Sarmada in the countryside of the north western Syrian Idlib province. At least 1,444 people were killed in Syria and around 3,500 were injured, according to figures from the Damascus government. This was one of the most powerful earthquakes to ever hit this region, leaving a devastating impact on both Turkey and Syria.

International Response

The international community responded quickly to the Turkey and Syria earthquake of 2023. Offering assistance to those affected, the United Nations set up a special task force to help coordinate the international response. Several countries pledged financial aid, while many sent rescue teams to search for survivors and assist in the clean-up effort. International aid organizations such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies provided medical assistance , distributed food and supplies, and provided shelter for those rendered homeless by the quake. The Turkish government also received assistance from its NATO allies, who sent troops to assist in the search and rescue operations. Overall, the international community showed great solidarity in responding to this tragic event.

Ongoing Challenges

The ongoing challenges linked to the Turkey and Syria earthquake of 2023 are immense. In both Turkey and Syria, destruction is widespread, with thousands of homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Additionally, vital infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged, including roads and bridges, leading to even greater disruption in the affected areas. As a result, access to food, water, healthcare and other essential services has been severely impacted. Furthermore, the displacement of thousands of people has created an immense humanitarian crisis . This crisis is further compounded by the fact that many people have lost their livelihoods and source of income due to the destruction caused by the earthquake . As a result, there is a pressing need for international aid in order to help those affected by the disaster rebuild their lives and communities.

Lessons Learned

The earthquake of 2023 in Turkey and Syria has taught us an important lesson in the risks of seismic activity and natural disasters. As the magnitude 7.8 quake caused major devastation across both countries, it was a stark reminder of the potential destruction that can be caused by seismic activity.

Not only did the earthquake cause massive destruction to homes and businesses, but it also highlighted the need for better preparedness and response measures in both countries. As many cities were left without basic necessities such as food, water, and medical supplies, it became clear that both countries need to work together to create stronger disaster management systems that will be able to provide aid quickly and efficiently in the event of another earthquake or other disaster.

The earthquake of 2023 also demonstrated the importance of international aid in times of crisis. As both Turkey and Syria faced immense destruction, aid from organizations such as the Red Cross and other international non-profits were essential in providing basic necessities to those affected by the earthquake. The international response was a powerful example of how global unity can help those in need during times of crisis.

This tragic event has also highlighted the need for better seismic monitoring systems in both Turkey and Syria. By investing in more advanced technology, these two countries can be better prepared for future disasters and have more accurate information about potential seismic activity.

Ultimately, the earthquake of 2023 has taught us many lessons about preparation for natural disasters and the power of international cooperation during times of crisis.

Final death Toll

Unfortunately, the death toll has surpassed 50,000 people – with 45,968 confirmed deaths in Turkey and 7,259 in Syria. It’s a truly devastating situation. However, there are organizations like International Medical Corps who have been present in Syria since 2008 and are currently supporting 33 health facilities across the country. In Turkey, they worked extensively in southern areas and are now working with local partners to provide food and non-food items to support IDPs in camps and shelters. Let’s keep those affected by the earthquakes in our thoughts and support those who are working to provide them with relief. 

The earthquake in Turkey and Syria had a devastating impact on the communities of both countries. The loss of life was immense, and many are still struggling to cope with the destruction that it caused. The international response to the event was swift, with governments and aid organizations providing assistance wherever possible. However, the recovery process is ongoing, and there are still many challenges that remain. Despite this, the resilience of the people affected by the earthquake is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It is also a reminder that, even in times of tragedy, people can come together to help each other and rebuild their lives.

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7.4 magnitude quake hits Taiwan, strongest in 25 years

By Nectar Gan , Wayne Chang , Jerome Taylor, Antoinette Radford, Deva Lee and Maureen Chowdhury , CNN

Our live coverage of the Taiwan earthquake has moved here.

Search and rescue efforts continue after 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Rescuers are working to free dozens trapped after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of Taiwan — causing landslides and collapsed structures.

At least nine people have died , more than 900 others are injured and over 100 buildings have been damaged.

The quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years .

Here's what else we know:

• The quake:  The earthquake  hit  at 7:58 a.m. local time, 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien at a depth of 34.8 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.
• Aftershocks : The quake was followed by 29 aftershocks greater than a magnitude of 4.0 near the epicenter of the earthquake in east Taiwan so far, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Tremors have been felt across the island, including in Taipei. Tremors as high as magnitude 7 are  expected  in the following days.
• Hualien County:  The region where the quake struck, Hualien County, has a population of about 300,000, around 100,000 of whom live in the main city of Hualien. But many in the region live in remote coastal or mountain communities that  can be hard to reach , so it might take time to understand the extent of Wednesday's quake.
• Trapped miners: Taiwan's national fire agency said that 71 people are trapped in two mines in Hualien.
• Power cuts : More than 91,000 households were without electricity, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Command Center.
• Medical facilities: Hospitals across Taiwan’s capital , Taipei City, are operating normally despite being damaged by Wednesday’s earthquake, according to the Municipal Government.
• US monitoring: The Biden administration is monitoring the earthquake in Taiwan overnight and is prepared to offer assistance, a National Security Council spokesperson said Wednesday. 

71 miners trapped in 2 mines in Taiwan after earthquake, national fire agency says

From CNN's Shawn Deng

Taiwan's national fire agency said that 71 people are trapped in two mines in Hualien after a powerful earthquake struck the island. 

In the Heping mine, there are 64 people trapped, and seven more are trapped in the Zhonghe mine, the fire agency said in a news conference on Wednesday. 

Video shows man swimming in a rooftop pool when massive earthquake hit 

When a magnitude of 7.4 earthquake rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, it struck during the morning commute.

Video shows highway roads shaking and even a man being heavily swayed and rocked on a rooftop pool.

Watch the moment here:

Taiwanese semiconductor facilities will resume production overnight following earthquake

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), the chipmaking giant, said on Wednesday that its facilities which were impacted by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake are expected to resume production overnight. 

TSMC reported that their overall tool recovery is at more than 70% within 10 hours of the earthquake striking the island. Safety systems are also operating normally, TSMC added.

The company noted that a small number of tools were damaged but that there was no damage to its extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) tools. Work at construction sites will resume after further inspections are complete, TSMC said.

Earlier, a TSMC spokesperson told CNN they had evacuated some manufacturing plants. All personnel are now safe, TSMC said in an update.

Biden administration monitoring Taiwan earthquake, White House says

From CNN's Sam Fossum

The Biden administration is monitoring the earthquake in Taiwan overnight and is prepared to offer assistance, a National Security Council spokesperson said Wednesday. 

"We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan. The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers," a statement from National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

7 major earthquakes have hit Taiwan over the last 50 years

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that killed at least nine people and injured hundreds Wednesday, is the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years .

Over the last 50 years, the island has experienced a total of seven major earthquakes, the last being a 7.1 magnitude quake in 2006 in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan.

The island sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire , which makes it prone to earthquakes.

See a full list of the earthquakes that have hit Taiwan:

29 aftershocks above 4.0 magnitude have occurred near epicenter since earthquake, US Geological Survey says

From CNN's Sara Tonks 

There have been 29 aftershocks greater than a magnitude of 4.0 near the epicenter of the earthquake in east Taiwan so far, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Of these aftershocks:

• One was above 6.0
• 13 have been at or above 5.0
• 14 have been above 4.0.

Forecast during recovery efforts: Tonight's forecast in Hualien City, near the epicenter, calls for increasing cloud coverage. Thursday is looking at mostly cloudy skies with afternoon showers and rain Thursday night and Friday during the day.

Rainfall totals should be relatively light for Taiwan, with models calling for under 25 mm (less than 1 inch) by Friday evening local time.

Watch landslide engulf road after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan

A dashcam camera has caught the moment a large landslide came down a mountain in Taiwan, triggered by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning.

The quake is the strongest to have rattled the island in 25 years, killing at least nine people and leaving more than 150 trapped.

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‘Violent rumble’: 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattles New York City, northeast

No casualties were immediately reported as rare quake shakes densely populated city of 8.3 million.

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled the northeastern US Friday morning, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, sending tremors along the Atlantic coast between Boston and Philadelphia.

The quake’s epicentre was about 45 miles (72km) west of New York City in Lebanon, New Jersey, rocking buildings in densely populated Manhattan and throughout the five boroughs. As many as 45 million people may have felt the shocks, according to the USGS.

Keep reading

Earthquake fever grips turkey’s istanbul amid fears of ‘the big one’, romania’s geeks are mapping earthquake risk in eu’s highest-risk capital, six months after the earthquake, morocco’s atlas villagers still in tents.

Still, no casualties or major structural damage were immediately reported after the 10:23am local time (14:23 GMT) earthquake, according to the New York City Fire Department.

In a post on the social media platform X, the New York City mayor’s office said it was still “assessing the impact”. Authorities were scheduled to hold a news conference at 12pm local (16:00 GMT) to provide updates.

Meanwhile, the NYC Emergency Management agency urged anyone “in danger” to call the emergency 911 number, and to report any other non-emergency impacts to the city’s services hotline.

A spokesman for NYC Public Schools said that teams were assessing school building facilities out of “an abundance of caution”.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it was temporarily closing the Holland Tunnel, an arterial commuter route connecting New Jersey and Manhattan, for inspection.

Some flights bound for New York were also diverted to other airports, according to the tracking website FlightAware.

Residents of the city reported feeling their buildings shake for several minutes.

“I noticed the door trembling on its frame,” India Hays, a barista in lower Manhattan, told The Associated Press news agency. “I thought surely there couldn’t be an earthquake here.”

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx borough, said the quake felt “like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so.”

“It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration,” she told the Reuters news agency.

At the United Nations in midtown Manhattan, Save the Children CEO Janti Soeripto abruptly stopped an address to the Security Council on the war in Gaza.

“You’re making the ground shake,” Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour quipped.

People in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Connecticut and other areas of the Northeast also reported feeling the quake, with tremors lasting for several seconds felt more than 200 miles (322km) away near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.

In a post on X, New York governor Kathy Hochul said she had been in touch with the White House, which said that President Joe Biden had also been briefed.

For its part, the USGS noted that “earthquakes are uncommon but not unheard of along the Atlantic Coast”. There is no active tectonic plate boundary along the coast, “but there are stresses,” it said in a post on X.

The earthquake evoked memories of an August 23, 2011, earthquake that jolted tens of millions of people along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to Canada.

That earthquake registered at a magnitude 5.8 and was the strongest to hit the East Coast since World War II.

The epicentre of that earthquake was in Virginia. It left cracks in the Washington Monument, spurred the evacuation of the White House and the US Capitol and rattled New Yorkers.