Earthquakes in turkey and syria

Turkey and Syria are countries that are often affected by earthquakes. Due to their geographic location in a seismically active zone, they are prone to such disasters.

In October 2011, Turkey’s Van province was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale. The consequences were devastating: there were many deaths and injuries, as well as massive damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Syria has also been affected by earthquakes in recent years. In January 2018, the city of Azaz was hit by a 6.3 magnitude quake. The consequences were similarly tragic as in Turkey: there were many dead and injured as well as many destroyed buildings.

These events show how important it is to prepare for natural disasters and take appropriate measures to protect people’s lives.

We take a closer look at what earthquakes are and how best to prepare for them.

Preventive measures are often the key to reducing the extent of damage and protecting life. There are many ways to reduce the risk of earthquakes.

Strong earthquakes shake Turkey and Syria

In recent weeks, the countries of Turkey and Syria have been hit by several earthquakes of high magnitude. The Turkish city of İzmir was hit particularly hard on 30. October 2020 was shaken by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6.

The quake in İzmir was traumatic for many people. Buildings collapsed, people were buried and injured. Rescue efforts continued for several days, and many residents are still sheltering in emergency shelters.

Several earthquakes were also recorded in Syria. The country is particularly vulnerable because it is located in a seismically active zone and many buildings are in poor condition due to the long-standing civil war.

International aid organizations are now working in both countries to help victims and support reconstruction efforts. Fast action is important to help people in these difficult times.

• Earthquake – natural disaster caused by the sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust.
• Traumatic – something that causes strong psychological stress in people due to a severe experience.
• Seismically active – areas where earthquakes occur frequently.
• Reconstruction – the process of restoring buildings and infrastructure following a disaster.

Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Quite apart from political conflicts, natural disasters such as earthquakes in the region can at the same time contribute to the humanitarian crisis. Such a crisis also occurred in Syria in 2018, when a major earthquake caused extensive damage in Idlib province.

The catastrophic event not only claimed many lives and injured many more, but also left around 5.000 homes destroyed. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that Idlib province, where the earthquake occurred, was one of the last places of refuge for Syrian refugees at the time. Many of them had lost their homes in other parts of the country due to the conflict and were looking for a safe place to live. But the earthquake forced them to flee again.

In comparison, a much stronger earthquake occurred in Turkey in 2020, but with about ten times fewer lives lost due to better infrastructure and rescue efforts. The disaster shows how important humanitarian aid and solidarity are in times of natural disasters, regardless of political conflicts.

• Support for Syria: Given the complex political situation in Syria, humanitarian aid is often difficult to provide to affected people. However, even in such situations, fast help for people in need must be a priority.
• Protection from disasters: In Turkey, after the earthquake, there were extensive efforts to better train urban populations for possible earthquakes and prepare them for disasters. Such measures can also save lives in other countries in the region in the future.
• Cooperation and solidarity: natural disasters and man-made crises know no borders and often affect entire regions. Closer cooperation and solidarity between countries and neighboring regions is therefore necessary, especially in times of crisis.