The 6.4 and 5.8 magnitude earthquakes that struck Southern Turkey and Northern Syria on February 20, 2023, barely 13 days after two fatal 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude quakes, were the second and third earthquakes that day, a press release states.
Since the prior earthquakes, our crew on the ground had already been alerted and was still in response mode. Over 2,000 of our coworkers who are trained humanitarians are currently responding to the recent earthquakes. Several dozen cases were brought into our hospital, Al-Qunaya, in the first 30 minutes.
Supporting local medical professionals was already being provided by a medical mission.
Building damage has been reported, although there are still no precise estimates on the number of fatalities or injuries. More than 45,000 people have died in the past 13 days in both Syria and Turkey, with at least 4,500 dead recorded in Northwest Syria alone. In a region where two-thirds of the 4.5 population are already displaced, about 300,000 people were displaced. Since there are now only three crossing sites permitted for humanitarian supplies between Turkey and Syria, access to help adds another layer of complexity. The situation on the ground calls for substantial, immediate, and global humanitarian aid so that local humanitarian actors can provide crucial aid.
Without widespread cooperation, neither the immediate response nor the recovery in the upcoming weeks and months can be anticipated.
