On February 6, 2023, two earthquakes measuring 7.4-7.8 on the Richter scale occurred in Turkey, centered in the provinces of Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep affecting an area within a radius of about 400 km. The earthquakes affected 10 surrounding provinces, particularly Antakya, Antep, Adıyaman, Adana, Diyarbakır, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Urfa, where about 13,5 million people live, including about 2 million Syrian refugees. The earthquake also hit the northern Syrian cities of Aleppo and Idlib.
Thousands of buildings collapsed, including hospitals, nursery homes, town halls, and other infrastructure. The death toll and injuries are rising with each passing hour with an estimated 185 000 victims buried under the rubble. Rescue efforts have not arrived in the critical first 48 hours in most affected areas. Heavy snowfall, heavy rains, and sub-zero temperatures make the situation even more critical for the injured and survivors. Villages and rural areas lack rescue workers, medical supplies and food. There is currently a shortage of everything: medical supplies, electricity, gas, water, food, clothing, tents, heaters, and much more. Through social media, victims still ask for help to pull out their relatives from the rubble, a great shock and despair spreads far outside the affected region.
The epicentre of the earthquake is an area where predominantly persecuted communities such as Alevis, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, and Kurds have been living. Due to the history of persecution and state violence, this region has been already suffering from inadequate infrastructure and economic disadvantage. This is also the reason why many have migrated from this region to Europe and constitute a significant number of the diaspora from Turkey. The destruction and suffering caused by these earthquakes are of a magnitude that Turkey has not yet experienced and there is growing concern about the lack of adequate state-led assistance so far. Therefore, immediate international assistance for all victims in the region is of urgent importance. The Center of Southeast European Studies is deeply concerned about the humanitarian disaster that is currently unfolding in the affected regions and asks for support and solidarity.
Please find below a list of organisations who provide reliable immediate assistance to those need.
International:
medico international e.V.
IBAN: DE69 4306 0967 1018 8350 02 BIC: GENODEM1GLS GLS Bank Spendenstichwort: Nothilfe Erdbeben
Turkey
Ahbap
IBAN: TR150006400000210212150277 SWIFT: ISBKTRIS İş Bankası EUR Account
Austria
Austrian Red Cross
IBAN: AT57 2011 1400 1440 0144 Kennwort: Erdbeben Türkei und Syrien
IBAN: AT23 2011 1000 0123 4560 Kennwort: Erdbeben Syrien und Türkei
