In response to the immense health needs of the Syrian people caused by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic on February 07, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) field presence in Gaziantep trans-shipped another 34.5 metric tons of surgical supplies and essential medicines for the value of US$ 353 188 into northwest Syria through the Bab Al-Hawa and Bab Al-Salama border crossings, to further support health facilities meet the medical and emergency needs of affected people in the area.
As per the details given in a WHO press statement, a third charter flight landed in Damascus airport on February 20, 2023 carrying 33 metric tons of medical supplies and equipment for the treatment of injuries, medicine for chronic diseases, and cholera treatments, in addition to patient monitors. WHO expects another charter flight on February 25, 2023 carrying medical supplies from its Dubai Hub to be delivered cross-border from Turkiye to support the emergency needs of northwest Syria.
The first WHO charter flight into Syria reached Aleppo on February 11, 2023 consisting of emergency supplies for 60 000 surgical interventions and 50 000 medical treatments – particularly for pneumonia, as hundreds of thousands of Syrians were either rendered homeless due to collapsed or evacuated buildings, or were terrified of returning home and being buried under the rubble with strong aftershocks continuing to pose serious risk of building collapse. The second WHO flight containing another 30 metric tons of medical supplies and equipment arrived in Damascus on February 14, 2023.
WHO Field Presence in Gaziantep, operating under UN Security Council Resolution, on February 11, 2023, has undertaken 5 cross-border deliveries from Turkiye to northwest Syria — amounting to 139 metric tons of medical supplies — while in the first hours after the earthquake it had distributed 183 metric tons of WHO supplies prepositioned inside northwest Syria from partner’s warehouses in Azaz and Idlib to more than 200 health facilities.
Utilizing an all-modalities approach, including recently opened border crossing points, WHO has delivered 297 metric tons of emergency supplies and essential medicines to earthquake-affected areas of Syria, allowing 3,70,5000 treatments, but much more is still needed.
Turkiye has begun work to rebuild homes following this month’s devastating earthquakes, a Turkiye government official said in media reports, as the combined death toll in Turkiye and Syria surpassed 50,000. More than 1,60,000 buildings containing 5,20,000 apartments collapsed or were severely damaged in the February 7, 2023 earthquakes that killed tens of thousands in Turkiye and neighbouring Syria. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced the death toll in Turkiye due to earthquakes rose to 44,218 on Friday night.
President of Turkiye, Tayyip Erdogan has already pledged to rebuild homes within a year, although experts have said the authorities should put safety before speed. Some buildings that were meant to withstand tremors crumbled in the latest earthquakes. As per the available media reports, the Turkish government’s initial plan now is to build 2,00,000 apartments and 70,000 village houses at a cost of at least $15 billion, as U.S. bank J. P. Morgan had estimated rebuilding houses and infrastructure will cost $25 billion.
The UNDP said it estimated that the destruction has left 1.5 million people homeless, with 5,00,000 new homes needed as it had requested $113.5 million from the $1 billion in funds appealed for by the United Nations last week, adding that it would focus this money on clearing away mountains of rubble, also it estimates that the disaster had produced between 116 million and 210 million tons of rubble, compared with 13 million tons of rubble after the earthquake in northwest Turkiye in 1999.
Turkiye also issued new regulations under which companies and charities can build homes and workplaces to donate to the Urbanisation Ministry for people in need as many survivors have left the region of southern Turkiye that was hit by the quake or have been settled in tents, container homes and other government-sponsored accommodation.
In a statement carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) listed the affected regions so far as Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay and Kilis. Türkiye has declared a three-month state of emergency in the 10 quake-hit provinces.
Thousands of people have also been affected across the border in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Latakia. The areas affected by the earthquakes on the Syrian side are divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held pocket of land, encircled by Russian-backed government forces.
Turkiye’s disaster management agency said more than 110,000 rescue personnel would be taking part in the effort with the assistance of more than 5,500 vehicles, including tractors, cranes, bulldozers and excavators. The foreign ministry said 95 countries have offered help.
Even though experts say trapped people could survive for a week or more, the chances of finding survivors in the freezing temperatures are dimming, with emergency crews now starting to shift the focus to demolishing dangerously unstable structures. Volunteers from across Syria and Turkiye have travelled many miles to help earthquake victims in any way they can. Away from the affected regions, people have rushed to donate blood, clothing and food for survivors.
Since February 07, 2023, Turkiye has been hit by more than 100 aftershocks of magnitude 4 and greater. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same general area after a big earthquake. At least 81 magnitude-4 quakes, 20 magnitude-5 quakes, three magnitude-6 quakes and two magnitude-7 quakes have been recorded in southeast Turkiye on February 7, 2023.
Rescuers are working in freezing temperatures to dig through the remains of buildings flattened by the earthquakes. More bad weather is expected to hit the region as it may hamper rescue operations. Downed buildings and destroyed roads have also made it difficult to find survivors and get crucial aid into affected areas. Several airports have also been closed after being damaged by the earthquakes.
(The author is a regular columnist and can be mailed at [email protected])
