Earthquake Kahramanmaras: The Devastation
A Disaster 5,000 miles away:
The earthquake that hit both Turkey and Syria was a disaster. Many of us might know very little, if not nothing, about this. And that’s because, unlike the other events that happen in the world like the Russia and Ukraine war, these countries aren’t given as much attention.
On February 6th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. It was 4 am on a Monday when a strong earthquake shook the citizens out of their beds. It was so strong to the point where it sent tremors to neighboring countries like Lebanon and Palestine. The buildings collapsed and many families were trapped under the rubble. Not everyone made it out alive and many babies were found with no family. The rescues that were sent from neighboring countries took DAYS to pull people out of the rubble. Imagine being trapped underground with no food, water, heat or even clean air to breath.
According to Reuters, there were at least 24 million people affected. At least 2.2 million people displaced. At least 118 thousand people were injured and about 50 thousand people died.
The Aftershocks:
Not too long after the initial earthquake, a series of aftershocks struck the region, raising fear and helplessness in the hearts of the people who just barely survived. The AFAD reported that more than 11,000 aftershocks have hit the region. The aftershocks just keep increasing the number of people who are affected in both countries.
The Impact:
Both countries suffered severely from this, but given the state that Syria has been in for years, it’s probably safe to say that it is in need of the most help right now. Syria has been at war for 12 years now, and many refugees have fled to all neighboring countries, mainly Lebanon and turkey where they’ve been living in refugee camps. Besides the civil war that they have been going through since 2011, Syria is number 9 on the list of countries facing a humanitarian crisis. Turkey, however, still has a stable government that is able to help its country.
Help is needed now:
The World Health Organization says that 26 million people need assistance across both countries. A lot of funding will be needed to repair all of the homes that these people have lost, so if you can donate the smallest amount that will be very helpful.
Link: https://www.sams-usa.net/
Note: This tragedy has happened to those people, but it can happen to anyone at any moment. So let us take a moment to reflect on our lives and be grateful for the things that we have that others might not.
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olivia signorile
Apr 18, 2023 at 2:31 pm
I really enjoyed reading your article and I though it was very well written. I liked how in your first two paragraphs you started off with the most important information that happened during this crisis including the who, what, where, and when. This was extremely important for me because I was able to learn all of the main points to the disaster. Also I liked at the end how you included how people who are reading your article can help by donating.
Alex Gaines
Apr 18, 2023 at 12:44 pm
This article is really well-written – the subject matter is already really devastating but your writing made it even more powerful. The specific statistics of how many people were affected and the amount of aftershocks that hit the area made the article really shocking and interesting to read.
As a fellow student journalist (from Inklings in Westport, CT), I understand how difficult these topics are to cover – but you did it really professionally, especially by dividing the article into sections about the aftershocks, impact, and how we can help.
I also love how you note that many students know very little about the earthquake and the note at the end about being grateful – it’s awesome how you connected the article to the audience considering how far away the earthquake happened.
Karlie Saed
Apr 18, 2023 at 12:23 pm
I loved this article because of how informative it was. I knew only a little bit about the earthquake that hit prior to reading, but I now feel much more informed. I also liked how you incorporated thought provoking ideas or questions like “imagine being trapped underground with no food…” Overall, I think this article was really well written because it was concise and to the point; I learned a lot, which is super important as a journalist.