Deadly Devastation: The Recent Turkey - Syria Earthquake
I found out about the Turkey-Syria earthquake by accident. I was doing research on earthquakes for a paper when I discovered bold headlines declaring a fatal travesty- death and destruction from a disaster. I was struck, how could I not know about this sooner? Such a horrific event and it felt like no one cared and no one I knew seemed to know about it. But I watched everyday as more news of terror flooded in. I grew curious, wanting to find any way I could to understand how such suffering had happened and how it could be prevented. I found that nothing substantial can be done for those experiencing these disasters but that the answer lies in the foundation- as I explored in the previous post. I researched what I could about this event to better understand the challenges which others live, though what it succeeded in doing the most was making me realize the borders we create around “others” and “ourselves”. It provided clarity, we act after but never find the dedication to create prevention though it is essential.
In 2023 Turkey and Syria experienced an earthquake of devastating proportions. With over 55,000 people dead and millions displaced, earthquakes have revived the deadly fear of natural disasters. Earthquakes are one of the most devastating and catastrophic disasters that society is challenged with combatting. As reported by the 2022 World Risk Index, in 2022 128 of the 195 countries in the world were at a minimum medium risk for an earthquake to strike, 84 being high risk for a crisis. Earthquakes, totaling a devastating loss of 636 million in economic losses over 2000-2019, pose a severely unignorable problem for citizens worldwide (reported by “Impact of earthquakes on public health”). However, Turkey and Syria faced a disaster far worse than one would have imagined- the most horrific earthquake experienced in the past two decades.’
Mass devastation on this scale is not made from nature alone, however. Observing Turkey and Syria, in Turkey, it was found that the shoddy construction of buildings was not up to regulation- a partial reason for the complete devastation that ensued. To combat this crisis, the US donated $50 million in reconstruction funds, many other countries contributed to the rebuilding via monetary funds yet this doesn’t fix the root of the problem. The earthquake was estimated to impact around 15.73 million people all suffering this atrocity.
It is our duty as citizens of this world to aid those we can. For those who survived through this we must advance as a society together and create a solution for every person, it is nothing less than necessary. If methods of mitigation have already been put into place why are they only available to some countries? We’re all people, so let’s begin to understand how to create a safer world for all people.