A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Southern Turkey and Northern Syria on February 6th. The earthquake has destroyed over six thousand buildings and left hundreds more damaged. This natural disaster has left over 5,000 dead and tens of thousands injured. The earthquake has left many homeless and left in the bitter cold. 

Rescue efforts began right away, but a 5.7 magnitude aftershock made it difficult to search right away for survivors trapped under rubble. Many countries have pledged to send specialists to assist in recovery efforts, including the U.S., Australia, Hungary, South Korea, Japan, The Palestinian International Cooperation Agency, Pakistan, China, and Germany. The UN has also sent 700 staff members to earthquake affected areas with the World Food Program. Over 50,000 emergency personnel and volunteers involved in aid work have been sent to Turkey, according to Turkish President Erdogan. 

Turkish authorities reported that 5,600 buildings, including hospitals, were destroyed in Turkey alone. The Turkish city of Kahramanmaras was hit the hardest with 941 buildings collapsing. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated that 224 buildings in northwestern Syria were destroyed, and at least 325 were damaged. 

“Turkey and Syria need all the help they can get,” said Mark Lowcock, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development and former U.N. relief chief. “The most vulnerable may be those in Syria in places not controlled by the government: help via Turkey may be needed for them, and diplomatic efforts are necessary to achieve that.” 

This earthquake has brought about more devastation to Syria, a country that has been ravaged by civil war for years. “The earthquake has heavily impacted northwest Syria, where 4.1 million people, most of them women and children, were already relying on humanitarian assistance,” Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General told reporters, adding that “hospitals are already overwhelmed.” The “White Helmets” group, which is also known as the Syrian Civil Defense and operates in rebel-held territories in Syria, said hundreds of families are still trapped in the aftermath of the earthquake in the northwest of the country. The group said in a tweet that the death and injury tolls “are expected to rise significantly because hundreds of families are still under the rubble.” Due to the lack of a central Syrian government that can manage the multi-sectoral response. Help may not be able to reach those in Syrian government forces’ control. 

“Unprecedented global hunger, war, destabilization—and now, a devastating earthquake has struck Türkiye & Syria. Our thoughts & prayers go to families who have suffered immeasurable loss: We stand with you,” said the head of the World Food Program, David Beasley. 

Turkish President Erdoğan has declared a state of emergency for all of the earthquake affected areas. He also declared a week-long national mourning period for the country to remember the lives lost to this natural disaster. 

Rescue efforts will continue but the death toll is expected to soar as more bodies are discovered under rubble.