Additionally, the snow and rain following the quake not only hampered the efforts of search and rescue teams but also severely reduced the chance of survival for those who were trapped beneath the rubble. February is the coldest month of the year in the region, but current temperatures are even colder, increasing the chances of hypothermia.
The aftershocks are yet another factor contributing to the fatalities of search and rescue teams and those who are trapped. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same area after the larger event has occurred. Seismologists claim that aftershocks are usually a full magnitude lower than the initial quake. However, the 7.8 initial quake was followed by a 7.5 magnitude aftershock (only 0.3 magnitude lower). Furthermore, at least 125 aftershocks measuring 4.0 or greater have taken place after that unusually large aftershock. While many countries as well as global organizations have sent search and rescue teams, aid, and donations to Turkey, the same cannot be said for Syria. This is due to the complications caused by the civil war between the Syrian government and opposition forces. Syria has been undergoing a violent civil war since 2011. About 90% of families in Syria are impoverished and more than 50% are food insecure. The Syrian government did not want aid to reach the rebel-held areas which were the regions hit by the earthquake (northern Syria). The first United Nations aid convoy was able to cross from Turkey into Northern Syria three days after the quake occurred. On top of everything, millions residing in these rebel-held areas of northern Syria were not only suffering from poverty but also a cholera outbreak at the time of the quake. Most of these poverty-stricken Syrians relied solely on bread as their “meal”, but the earthquake resulted in most bakeries collapsing. The United Nations states that the previous number of people (15.3 million) that required humanitarian assistance in Syria will have to be revised upwards. Comments are closed.
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