6 February 2023 Earthquake Türkiye & Syria: “Leadership Also Means Helping People in Crisis”

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As AIESEC deeply feels the sadness of the earthquake that Türkiye and Syria experienced, we are trying to provide the necessary support from all the countries and territories we are in.

On 6 February 2023, a series of large earthquakes hit southern Türkiye and northern Syria, followed by hundreds of aftershocks. After the Level 4 international aid declaration, the World Health Organization declared a level 3 emergency

the World Health Organization declared a level 3 emergency.

The first is 7.7, and the second is a 7.6 magnitude earthquake; It has wreaked havoc in 10 cities in Türkiye (there are 81 cities in total) and in Syria. On the 9th day of search and rescue efforts, the loss of life approached 30 thousand.

EQUIVALENT TO 500 ATOM BOMBS

AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) Türkiye Earthquake Risk and Reduction General Manager Orhan Tatar stated that they analyzed both earthquakes and said, “The duration of the first earthquake is 65 seconds. The destructive effect of the second earthquake is 45 seconds. The region was shaken very severely for about 2 minutes,’‘ he said. Tatar explained that the energy released by the two earthquakes was equivalent to 500 atomic bombs.

170 thousand 902 tents and 1 million 507 thousand 494 blankets were shipped to 10 cities heavily affected by the earthquake by AFAD, the Ministries of Family and Social Services, Youth and Sports, and the Red Crescent, and the installation of 102 thousand 274 family life tents was completed. Within the scope of the disaster psychosocial support group, 4 mobile social service centers were assigned, and 1645 personnel and 164 vehicles were sent to the region. Psychosocial support was given to 110 thousand 650 people, 99 thousand 916 in the earthquake zone and 10 thousand 734 outside the earthquake zone.

AFAD reported that 147 thousand 934 disaster victims from the provinces affected by the earthquake were evacuated to other provinces. According to the statement of AFAD, a total of 233,320 personnel and 12,322 vehicles and construction equipment are working in the works carried out in the earthquake zone. 9,369 personnel from other countries for help were sent to the disaster area. There are 70 aircraft, 167 helicopters, 24 ships, 45 UAVs, and 9 drones operating in the region.

IT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WORLD’S SOLIDARITY.

After the earthquakes, the search and rescue teams that came to Türkiye from many countries and territories started to work on the debris. 9 thousand 636 foreign search and rescue teams are on duty in the earthquake zone.

COUNTRIES SENDING AID

USA, Germany, Argentina, Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, UAE, Bangladesh, Belarus, United Kingdom, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Algeria, Czechia, China, El Salvador, Armenia, Estonia, Palestine, Finland, France, South America, South Korea, Georgia, Croatia, India, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Iraq, Iran, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, TRNC, Kosovo, Kuwait, Libya, Lithuania, From Lebanon, Hungary, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Jordan, Venezuela, and Greece teams participate in search and rescue efforts in the earthquake area.

Aid from United Nations

Rescue teams from various countries of the world show hope to Türkiye and Syria and solidarity to the world as an example.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that they will send aid to Türkiye and Syria.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that three planes with medical aid supplies would be sent to earthquake zones. It was also stated that one of these planes was already on its way to Istanbul. Among the teams that WHO will send, there are high-level delegates who will coordinate the relief efforts.

Step of AIESEC in Türkiye for Earthquake

As AIESEC is also represented in Türkiye, we provide material and moral assistance. They are in touch with Local Committees who need help, actively talking with them. They collect money and donate their AIESEC sweatshirts among themselves and buy logistics to meet their needs, such as clothes and blankets. They go to the aid collection areas and work as volunteers. From all around Türkiye also, people are trying to send needed items.

They also created a website that supports victims to meet their accommodation needs and connects people who can be homeowners with earthquake survivors who need a house. AIESEC in Türkiye shows us that leadership comes to the fore on days like these, and they set an example.

SUPPORT WITH DONATE

You can provide support by not refraining from donating to state and internationally-approved institutions.

We wish the people of the impacted area to get well soon and want to say that all our support is with them. We wish that such wounds do not recur.

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