Photo by [The Hill]
The Turkish government declared a level 4 emergency, which includes a call for international assistance. Numerous countries and NGOs worldwide sent rescue teams, relief packages, food and medicine, amongst others to Turkey and Syria.
On Monday, Turkey was hit by two devastating earthquakes. The first quake registered at 7.8 and the second at 7.7 magnitudes.
The disaster destroyed hundreds, if not thousands of buildings, destroying vital and historic infrastructure, claiming the lives of thousands and trapping much more beneath the rubble from collapsed buildings in both countries.
Azhar Vadi, the Director of the Salaam Foundation, is currently situated at the border which separates the two countries at the IHH logistics centre.
The Salaam Foundation is assisting the people affected with food, providing them with blankets against the harsh winter weather and are assisting in building temporary shelters. Once everything is settled, Salaam Foundation will be involved in the reconstruction of destroyed homes.
Life at the Border
At present, the situation at the border is very chaotic as personnel from around the world are meeting and being dispatched to various logistic centres where they will be coordinated and sent to the affected areas.
Vadi said a lot of activity is happening on the Turkish side of the border. He commended the Turkish authorities and organisations for their response to the earthquake and how they have managed the logistics aspect, given the amount of assistance they have received over the past few days.
However, with the machinery and personnel being used to capacity, people are getting frustrated due to the delays and the amount of time it takes to clear out an area. As a result, some rescuers and civilians have resorted to moving debris with their bare hands.
The severe weather conditions have proven to be a challenge for relief agencies and rescuers. Coupled with the vast destruction caused by the earthquake, Vadi said, there are still cities and areas which are yet to be reached and cleared out.
“The weather is impeding the rescue efforts. It’s been snowing in many parts of Turkey. It’s extremely cold and the temperature can drop right down to -3 or -5 degrees. So, with the people living outside and in the open, it’s a perilous situation. For those people trapped inside the rubble, for maybe 48 to 60 hours … They’ve got to fight not only the collapse of the buildings and rubble … But also, the very cold temperature.”
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Aid to Syria
The earthquake impacted multiple cities and towns in Syria, exacerbating an already dire situation in the country.
There has been an ongoing civil war in Syria for over a decade. Sparking a refugee crisis which saw millions of Syrians flee their country, with millions currently residing in Turkey and millions more scattered internally. The northwest region is divided between the Syrian government and various opposition groups.
Vadi said it has been challenging to gain access to opposition-controlled areas in the region. However, the Turkish have access to it and are trying their best to gain entry into Syria.
He added the Syrian refugees have had to endure a difficult time given the implications of the conflict. However, their current condition is much worse than it was during the war.
“People now have been left without homes. They have no access to food, cooking utensils or shelter … The level of destruction in certain areas is immense. The number of people going into the hospitals is 400 to 500 at a time.”
The border crossing known as Bab al-Hawa has been the sole link through which the UN could transport aid to northern Syria from Turkey. Even though reports suggest, the earthquake has not damaged the crossing, the surrounding infrastructure, roads and land have been. A large portion of the northwest region’s population depends on the aid received via this channel.
Moreover, there have been calls for the western allies, the US and EU, to lift the economic sanctions placed on the Syrian government so that aid can be delivered to the affected areas directly through them. Al Jazeera reports assistance will arrive from the US via NGOs and will not directly engage with the Syrian government.
