Earthquake death toll in Turkey, Syria passes 25,000

KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey – Even after the wounded are treated and the trapped are freed from the rubble, the disaster of the earthquakes in Turkey may continue due to less immediate dangers.

The aftershocks of the earthquake could also manifest in a lack of water and sanitation, as well as frigid temperatures.

IsraAID’s initial exploratory team assessed that clean water would be one of the major problems for area residents following the tremors. “There will be a massive need for clean water,” said IsraAID press officer Shachar May.

The massive earthquake that hit southeast Turkey will likely put major pressure on the country’s economy amid an already dire financial situation, analysts told The Media Line.

Turkey and Syria continue to reel from the deadly powerful earthquake that hit the border region early Monday morning, with the death toll now at more than 7,500.

It is feared the figure will rise further as people continue to be stuck under the rubble and weather
hampering rescue efforts, making the full scale of the destruction not yet known.

Since arriving in Turkey late Monday night, the IDF rescue mission dubbed Operation Olive Branch has already begun aiding and assisting in the search and rescue mission after the deadly earthquake which has claimed the lives of over 6,200 people in Turkey and 2,500 in Syria.

Overnight on Tuesday, the rescue mission was able to save a 23-year-old woman who had been trapped underneath the rubble since Monday morning, team commander Maj. (Res.) Matan Schneider recounted.

The mission to rescue the woman took four and a half hours from start to finish and was conducted after the team heard noises coming from beneath rubble on the side of the road they were traveling on.

"The woman emerged healthy and whole, with only a fractured pelvis," Schneider said in a recorded statement. "She was evacuated and has returned to her fiance."

A video of the rescue mission, with the face of the woman obscured, was subsequently shared by the IDF.

GAZIANTEP, TURKEY - Emergency services not only need to contend with physical injuries when responding to Monday’s deadly earthquake in Turkey, but they also need to treat victims’ trauma and mental wounds.

United Hatzalah volunteer and Psychotruama specialist Sophie Donio, who is currently working on the rescue mission in Turkey explained to The Jerusalem Post that trauma can be induced by experiencing or seeing something terrible and unexpected. However, everyone will react in different ways and not everyone will have trauma induced by the same event.

In the immediate term, sufferers of trauma might freeze in place and become unresponsive in a dangerous place, or might not be in the state of mind to seek medical attention or shelter from the elements.

In the long term, the experience can manifest into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those suffering from PTSD might have short patience, develop addictions, heightened wariness, and depression. All these may damage and disrupt their relationships.

The sooner that trauma is treated, the less chance there is of developing PTSD.

The death toll in Turkey from earthquakes in its south rose to 6,234 by Wednesday morning, the Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) said.

The number of those injured rose to 37,011, the agency said, adding that more than 79,000 personnel were engaged in search and rescue operations.

Afghanistan's Taliban administration will send around $165,000 in aid to Turkey and Syria to help the response to a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck this week, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Afghanistan is in the grips of a severe economic and humanitarian crisis and is itself the location of one of the United Nation's largest humanitarian aid programs. The Taliban took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, sparking enforcement of sanctions on its banking sector, and no capital has formally recognized its government.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ... announces a relief package of 10 million Afghanis ($111,024) and 5 million Afghanis ($55,512) to Türkiye and Syria respectively on the basis of shared humanity and Islamic brotherhood," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said late on Tuesday.

Harsh winter conditions

The death toll from the huge tremor in southern Turkey and Syria had jumped to more than 7,800 people on Tuesday as rescuers worked against time in harsh winter conditions to dig survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings. Tens of thousands more were injured and many people were left without homes in freezing temperatures.

In Afghanistan, hundreds have also died in recent weeks due to bitter cold and an economic crisis.

Taliban soldiers with their children dressed in military uniforms and holding plastic weapons, walk on a snow-covered street on a snowy day in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 29, 2023. (credit: ALI KHARA/REUTERS)

Many aid groups have partially suspended operations due to a Taliban administration ruling that most female NGO workers could not work, leaving agencies unable to operate many programs in the conservative country. Western diplomats have said they will not consider formally recognizing the administration unless it changes course on women's rights.

Despite the cut of development funding that once formed the backbone of the Afghan state's budget, the World Bank said in a report that the Taliban administration has increased exports - some of it coal to neighboring Pakistan - and revenue collection remained strong, including from customs duties and mining royalties.

Israel was one of the first nations to offer both Turkey and Syria aid and assistance following the devastating earthquakes there on Monday – even though Syria is an enemy state. As always, Israelis should be proud that their country is always among the first to lend a helping hand when disasters occur around the world, especially in this region.

Israel's aid to Turkey

An Israeli search and rescue team comprising some 150 experienced military officers, professionals and experts arrived in the Turkish city of Adana on Tuesday. “The IDF search and rescue team is fully committed to doing everything in its power to help save lives and provide support to those in need,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Office said.

President Isaac Herzog called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express condolences over the loss of so many lives.

“The State of Israel always stands ready to assist in every way possible,” Herzog said. “Our hearts are with the grieving families and the Turkish people at this painful moment.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed all authorities to provide medical and rescue assistance to Turkey, adding that Israel is prepared to extend its aid to Syrian victims as well.

At 6:39am local time, Turkey was hit by a 4m earthquake.

At 5:55am local time, another earthquake hit Turkey. This one was rated 3.6M.

Turkey was also hit by a 4.1M earthquake at 5:25am local time.

Aid organizations, locals and countries are trying to get aid into Syria in the wake of the earthquake. While most aid efforts are concentrated in Turkey where the earthquakes took place, aid is also flowing into Syria, however, the ongoing conflict and divisions on the ground make this effort more difficult. Time is of the essence because to find survivors trapped under rubble it is important to get to them within the first days after they become trapped.

Furthermore, the areas of Syria affected have already been destroyed by years of war and there are millions of displaced people and towns and cities with buildings that are already vulnerable to collapse. This area lacks basic things like equipment to dig people out safely and water and electricity may be in short supply. Border crossings with Turkey also appear to either be closed or barely functioning and people are waiting to see if they will be opened for humanitarian corridors.

By the afternoon of February 7, some 36 hours after the earthquake, reports said that the death toll in areas of northwestern Syria held by Syrian opposition groups and Turkey was more than 1,000. However, it is difficult to know if those estimates are accurate or who is providing official figures.

Turkey experienced another earthquake, this time with a 3.7 magnitude at 02:38am local time- EMSC