The Turkey-Syria earthquake that shocked the world

On February 8th more than 35,000 people were killed and tens of thousands injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, likely to even surpass 56,000. In a CNN article it was stated that “Thousands of buildings collapsed, and aid agencies are more worried about northwestern Syria, where more than 4 million people were already relying on assistance.” The freezing weather is currently causing a huge inconvenience to health assistance agencies, as it’s already becoming seemingly difficult to find survivors under the rubble and fallen buildings. Aftershocks are also becoming a huge problem. It’s already been recognized as one of the deadliest earthquakes of the past two decades. There’re many reasons why the quake was recognized as so deadly, one of the factors being that it struck so early in the morning when everyone was still sleeping, trapping citizens in their homes in their beds. In a NYC TIMES article, it was stated that “Around northwest Syria, the region was already struggling to rebuild buildings that were severely damaged by continual aerial bombardment during the years-long civil war.” The weather is also a huge cause as temperatures reach below zero, risking hypothermia for many survivors stuck under the rubble. “Currently, at least 68,952 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets, and Syrian state media.” Some 95 nations and 16 international organizations have pledged aid to Turkey following this week’s horrific earthquake.