Strong aftershocks continue to shake the region as people struggle to survive in the quake area. For the next few days, the Turkish civil protection agency Afad expects earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5. There is an aftershock in the region every four minutes, Afad’s managing director for risk reduction, Orhan Tatar, told state news agency Anadolu. So far, there have been more than 4,700 aftershocks.
More than 84,000 buildings in Turkey have collapsed or been seriously damaged, Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum said on Friday. Thousands of homes were also destroyed in Syria. In the earthquake areas, authorities are still warning people not to return to their homes.
No drinking water
In Turkey there is no drinking water in some places because of the destruction, as the head of the Medical Association (TTB) in Adana, in southern Turkey, Selahattin Mentes, said. Nurdag district in Gaziantep is affected. Elsewhere, tap water can become contaminated by mixing with the sewage system. “We urgently need access to clean water in the region and we have to establish hygiene. In addition, rubbish has to be disposed of.” Otherwise, there is a risk of infectious diseases such as cholera.
Eleven days after the earthquake, there are still sensational reports from Turkey of rescues. State broadcaster CNN Türk reported that helpers in the Turkish city of Antakya rescued two people who had been buried under rubble after 261 hours.
phone wish
According to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, one of the two youths insisted on calling a relative shortly after his discharge. A video showed how a person called started crying on the phone when he heard about the rescued.
According to Anadolu, even one man was rescued in Hatay after 278 hours. The information could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced in a cynical televised speech that the aftermath of war in the country had prepared the population for the earthquake. “The war, which depleted resources and weakened capabilities, gave Syrian society the experience to deal with the earthquake.”
Syria’s rulers are acting brutally against their own people in the conflict. He is accused of crimes against humanity, including the use of chemical weapons. War broke out in 2011. Over 350,000 people have died so far.
EU first aid for Syria
According to the EU Commission, the first aid from the EU arrived in Syria on Friday. Goods like beds or shelter must go to regions that are not controlled by the Syrian government. They first arrived in Lebanon and Turkey by plane and from there would be taken to Syria. The EU also wants to deliver winter-proof tents, heaters and hygiene items. According to the Commission, millions of aid supplies have already been made available to Turkey.
International earthquake assistance can also sometimes fulfill another positive purpose, as the example of Greece shows: thanks to his country’s support for the earthquake region of Turkey, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hopes that the tension between the two countries neighbors decrease. Athens and Ankara are at loggerheads over sovereign rights and natural gas deposits in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. In recent months, Turkey has repeatedly threatened to invade the Greek islands.
strong earthquake
More than a week ago, a 7.7 magnitude tremor hit southeastern Turkey, followed hours later by a second 7.6 magnitude tremor. The number of confirmed deaths in Turkey and Syria is still rising – as of Friday it was more than 45,000. In Turkey, it increased to 39,672 deaths, as announced by Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Friday night, according to Anadolu. At least 5,900 deaths have been reported in Syria, but the number is infrequently updated. Tens of thousands were also injured and thousands are still missing. Millions are affected by the effects of violent earthquakes.