By Ahsan Shafiq/ Esra Ibrahimagoglu
Türkiye was shaken by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6 at 4.21 am in Pazarcık district of, Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş occurred at 13.26 hours later. The 7.5 magnitude earthquake devastated 11 cities in eastern Türkiye and Syria. Many aftershocks shook the region for two weeks. While people were still recovering from the disaster, on February 20, a magnitude 6.4 and a second magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the southern Turkish province of Hatay, frightening residents in an area devastated by twin earthquakes two weeks earlier. Many buildings collapsed and people were trapped under rubble. The state immediately intervened in the region and tried to deliver aid. Under the coordination of AFAD, many NGOs such as Turkish Red Crescent, IHH, Hayrat and Ahbab were in the region from the first moment of the earthquake with aid and search and rescue teams.
The death toll in Türkiye from the quakes two weeks ago rose to 41,156, as reported by AFAD, and is still expected to climb further, with 385,000 apartments known to have been destroyed or seriously damaged and many people still missing. At least 47,000 people are estimated to have died across Türkiye and Syria. More than 80,000 people were rescued from the rubble by search and rescue teams and the public.
A number of nations and organizations reacted to the earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023. At least 105 nations and 16 major foreign organizations committed to helping the earthquake victims, and providing them humanitarian aid. Search and rescue teams also came from dozens of countries, and financial assistance was also given in an effort to find victims hidden beneath the rubble. After these two major earthquakes, messages of condolences were sent to Türkiye from many countries from the very first day. According to the latest information, many countries such as Pakistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Germany, South Korea, Qatar, Russia, Spain, and Taiwan have sent search and rescue teams to Türkiye’s call for assistance, as well as are providing financial aid for the earthquake victims.
In the aftermath of two deadly earthquakes that struck 10 provinces in southern Turkiye, many countries stepped forward to provide aid and assistance. International assistance has included medical supplies, medical staff, funding support, rescue teams, rescue dogs, high-tech equipment, heaters, and generators. According to formal resources; 95 countries and 16 international organizations offered to send Türkiye assistance, with many nations sending search and rescue teams, doctors, field hospitals and aid materials to the quake-hit region.
Pakistan has been prominent in sending rescue teams and later aid to the calamity hit region.
A plane carried 16.5 tonnes of supplies for the earthquake victims in Turkiye that were donated by the people of Pakistan. Initially, two relief teams were dispatched to Turkiye by the government. Later, a 52-member rescue and assistance squad was also dispatched to Turkiye. A 30-bed mobile hospital as well as tents, blankets, and other relief goods have also been sent. The country’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif also visited the affected regions and met president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to console the brotherly country in these difficult times. The Pakistani PM also met locals in the quake hit cities and interacted with affectees most of who applauded Pakistan’s efforts and professional work of Pakistani public sector and private sector civil society organizations.
On the orders of the Qatari government, relief flights were used to fly teams of search and rescue workers to Turkiye, along with vehicles, a field hospital, tents, and other provisions. Qatar-funded Qatar Charity said it was distributing 27,000 hot meals in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, where it has an office, and is supplying relief items to shelters in Turkiye and Syria. The group allocated $6m for the first stages of its response. In addition to monetary aid, Qatar has announced it will deliver 10,000 portable cabins and trailers. At the same time, the Emir of Qatar visited Türkiye to convey his condolences.
Algeria also dispatched two civil protection teams, one with 89 members, to Turkiye and the other with 85 members, to assist in the rescue operations. Saudi Arabia organized a campaign to assist in Turkiye and Syria through its “Sahem” platform and commanded an air bridge to deliver aid. On the other hand, Adana Airport in southern Turkiye received first plane from the UAE that was “carrying search and rescue teams, crew, and medical supplies.” The country also intended to dispatch search and rescue teams, emergency aid, and supplies to Syria, as well as a field hospital to be built in Turkiye. The Taliban government in Afghanistan will provide Turkiye and Syria with assistance worth about $166,000 to aid in the recovery from a devastating earthquake. Lebanon’s government sent soldiers, Red Cross and Civil Defence first responders, and firefighters to Turkiye to help with its rescue efforts. The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) will operate in Gaziantep alongside a 75-person team already present. A group of medical professionals and paramedics from the Ministry of Defense will also be sent to build up a field hospital. Syria and Turkiye would each receive $1 million from the government.
From the first moment of the earthquake, many Muslim NGOs went to the region for help. Alkhidmat foundation, Muslim Aid, Islamic Relief, Penny Appeal, Khubaib Foundation and many others in collaboration with Turkish partner organizations responded on the ground in quake-hit areas of Turkiye and Syria by distributing hot meals, blankets, mattresses and shelter tents to the victims. Along with such aid, the Alkhidmat Foundation, Pakistan’s largest NGO, appeared at the forefront. From the very first day they played an active role. With no delay they sent, a 47-member search and rescue team. The foundation’s former president and current vice president Abdul Shakoor himself was here to coordinate the operations. The foundation also collected donations from Pakistani diaspora in Turkiye beside regular donations from whole over the world to send aid to quake hit regions. Lately, a team of doctors has also arrived under auspices of Alkhidmat that has already been sent to Gaziantep to help the locals.
On the other hand, Islamic Relief has launched a global appeal for 24 million dollars to provide emergency relief in Syria and Turkiye following the deadly earthquakes, in addition to search and rescue, emergency food aid, Winter kits, and shelter and water truck to the earthquake zone.
The fact that Türkiye has always been at the forefront to help in disasters around the world makes this generous aid and solidarity towards Türkiye today more understandable. Türkiye did not forget them in their difficult days and they did not forget Türkiye.
Turkiye sent search-and-rescue teams and humanitarian aid to Pakistan in every disaster that the country faced. Post 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, four planes of the Turkish Armed Forces were sent for the quake-stricken region, carrying 93 rescue workers and medical personnel, five transport vehicles, medicine and, foodstuff. Dozens of Turkish NGOs including IHH, Red cresent and TIKA also took tonnes of aid to the earth quake hit region of Kashmir. The same story was repeated when Pakistan was hit by floods last year, one of the worst ones ever experienced by the country.
Large sections of the Earth’s crust, or tectonic plates, moving relative to one another causes these fault zones. The Anatolian Plate, which comprises the majority of Türkiye, is part of one zone. The region where the Anatolian Plate is moving in relation to the Arabian Plate, which is to the southeast of the Anatolian, is included in the East Anatolian zone. The Anatolian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which is to the north of the Anatolian Plate, migrate in the North Anatolian zone. The major earthquake on February 6, was one of the strongest ever felt in the region, with a magnitude that was comparable to the earthquake that struck northeast Turkiye in December 1939 and claimed more than 30,000 lives.
The views expressed herein may not necessarily reflect the views of JI FAD and/or any of its affiliates
