Three major earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, badly damaging infrastructure and killing more than 4,000 people. Several aftershocks from the 7.8-magnitude quake destroyed entire neighborhoods in important Turkish cities in the region, home to millions of people fleeing civil war and other crises in Syria. The airport’s lone runway in Turkey’s remote area has also been destroyed and rendered unusable. A video of the complete devastation of the runway was posted on social media. The tarmac appears to have split in two, necessitating a closure for all aircraft.
Turkey earthquake: epicenter
The epicenter was located about 26 km east of the Turkish city of Nurdagi, at a depth of about 18 km on the East Anatolian Fault. The earthquake’s northeastern radiation devastated central Turkey and Syria. The East Anatolian Fault generated little significant seismic activity in the 20th century. According to Roger Musson, an honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey, “It would appear to be more or less empty if we were only going by (large) earthquakes that were recorded by seismometers.” According to the US Geological Survey, there have been only three earthquakes in the region since 1970 that registered above 6.0 on the Richter scale. But a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the region in 1822 killed more than 20,000 people.
Turkey earthquake: deadliest of the decade
The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria produced 250 times more energy than the 6.2 earthquakes that hit central Italy in 2016 and killed more than 300 people. Of the deadliest earthquakes between 2013 and 2022, only two had the same magnitude as Monday’s tremor. Dozens of countries and organizations have offered to aid rescue efforts in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria after the earthquake disaster killed thousands.
Several countries have offered to aid rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria after the deadly earthquake
Turkey-Syria earthquake: Here is a list of medical aid offered by different countries
India
India has sent the first batch of relief material to Turkey in the Indian Air Force. India has also sent National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with 100 personnel and specially trained canine squads to help Turkey in the rescue efforts. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the decision to deploy immediate assistance was taken at a high-level meeting at the PMO in South Block, chaired by Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and in coordination with the Turkish government. ,
China
China will provide the first tranche of 40 million yuan ($5.9 million) in emergency aid to help Turkey’s relief efforts following this week’s massive earthquake, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The country’s Red Cross will also provide $200,000 in emergency aid to Turkey and Syria. A spokesman for the China International Development Cooperation Agency said on Monday that China expressed grief and concern over the loss of life and property.
Germany
Interior Minister Nancy Feser said Germany’s federal agency for technical relief (THW) could set up camps “to provide shelter as well as water treatment equipment.” Generators, tents and blankets are also being prepared by the THW agency. He said Berlin would also provide an additional $1.1 million in aid to organizations such as Maltaser International that are providing humanitarian relief in northwestern Syria.
Russia
In a phone conversation with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to send Russian teams to both countries. The Kremlin announced that rescuers from the Russian Emergency Ministry would be leaving for Syria “in the coming hours”. According to the Defense Ministry, 300 military personnel stationed in Syria were assisting in the rescue operation. Bashar al-Assad warmly accepted the offer, according to a Kremlin statement.
ukraine
Ukraine’s embattled President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is waging a war against Russian aggression, has also stepped forward to offer all possible assistance to Turkey. Zelensky wrote on Twitter: “I express my deepest condolences to President Erdogan, the people of Turkey and the families of the victims of the earthquake in the southeast of Turkey.”
America
US President Joe Biden said his government is working closely with Turkey and is pushing for a swift response from Washington to the tragic earthquake. The United States is sending two, 79-person search and rescue teams to assist Turkish authorities. “Our teams are rapidly deploying to support Turkey’s search and rescue efforts and to meet the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake,” Biden said.
United Kingdom
According to Britain, a search and rescue team as well as an emergency medical team is being sent to Turkey. Britain will send 76 search and rescue personnel, four sniffer dogs and rescue equipment to Turkey on Monday night, according to the British Foreign Office. The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverley, issued a statement which read, “We stand ready to provide further assistance if required.”
israel
Israel’s newly elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered staff to put together an aid package for Turkey that would include medical and search-and-rescue support. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Israel’s security forces were prepared to provide assistance that disaster-stricken countries needed. Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also unveiled a program of aid for Turkey.