A major earthquake hit northern Syria and the southeast of Turkey on 6th February in the early hours that left parts of each country in devastation, and has also left hundreds of people injured, dead, or missing. It has been reported that so far the death toll sits at 1300 people and counting.
The earthquake was felt across Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Jordan and Palestine at a magnitude of 7.8. The US Geological Survey reported that the quake originated in Gaziantep and ran 17.7km deep, and resulted in 20 aftershocks. Later in the day, another earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale also hit Cyprus at 11.23am local time.
Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu conveyed in an emergency statement that the earthquake had affected 10 cities, namely Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Adana, Diyarbakır and Kilis. Each had suffered significant damages. Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdoğan shared that 912 people had been killed and that 5,383 were wounded, and Syria’s state news agency reported that more than 320 people had died and nearly 1,000 wounded were left injured. Erdoğan also stated that this earthquake is the country’s biggest disaster since 1939’s Erzincan earthquake which killed 33,000 people. He also shared that the quake has devastated around 2,818 buildings. Ancient landmarks were also destroyed in the earthquake, including Turkey’s Gaziantep castle, which was built between the second and third centuries.
Pictures and videos have been circulating across social media of the devastation left in the wake of the earthquake, with netizens asking how they can help. Here are 5 websites you can donate to that are helping the affected areas and any victims directly.
Help.unicef.org - UNICEF is actively helping affected families and children in northern Syria.
Launchgood.com - This campaign is raising funds until 6th March 2023.
Care.or.au - Care will be utilizing all donations via its Global Emergency Fund to provide emergency relief and services to the people urgently affected. You can donate both, online, and via telephone. Call 1800 020 046 toll free to pay by credit card.
Molham.com - Syrian university students launched Molham which is urgently raising donations.
Ibc.org.tr - The International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC) is using contributions to send aid including food, first aid kits, blankets and heaters to the devastated areas.
