Türkiye-Syria Earthquake: Finding Hope in Tragedy
On February 6, 2023, two earthquakes shook the northern part of the Middle East; a 7.8 magnitude earthquake followed by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled through Türkiye and Syria and shattered everything in between. The quake’s death toll is estimated to be 36,000 thus far and has shattered more than 6,000 homes and left homeless survivors contending with freezing temperatures and severe weather conditions.
The Earthquake that killed thousands and created a crisis within a crisis for the Syrian people has been described as the worst event in 100 years in this region. Moreover, the current situation has resulted in an extraordinary outlook from an international political perspective as the borders between Türkiye and Armenia open for the first time in 30 years, to allow the crossing of humanitarian aid to ten southern Turkish provinces. Consequently, the Türkish-Armenian lawmaker Garo Paylan tweeted, “Let’s get some good out of this great disaster. Solidarity saves lives!”.
The International Community’s response portrays that the Middle East is again left behind. Five days into the catastrophe that has hit Southern Türkiye and Northwest Syria, the United Nations is yet to agree on a response towards Syria. On the other hand, the United States has taken matters into its own hands and has taken action as the US treasury announced a 180-day (6 months) exemption to its sanctions on Syria for all transactions related to earthquake relief efforts until August 8 2023. The US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (Adewale Adeyemo) asserted that "US sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of life-saving efforts for the Syrian people. However, the general license does not cover activities related to selling Syrian oil and petroleum products in the United States, and excludes people whose property has been designated by the US authorities as "blocked property". Nevertheless, Türkish president claims that the response of the international community was not as expected but rather late.
Very minimal aid has arrived in Syria as the hope dims for any survivors left under the rubble. The UN has estimated 5.3 million left homeless in Syria, being a considerably high number for a country that has been suffering from displacement for the pastt decade. Cemeteries no longer have space for the tremendous number of deaths, and the Syrian Community today is said to have witnessed all types of death. Additionally, the White Helmets Slam the United Nations’ earthquake response claiming that the UN has committed a crime against the Syrian people in the Northwest.
Despite the tragedy, the world’s awareness of the MENA region has now shifted. Syria is now finally getting the media coverage it deserves, not only on the front of the earthquake that recently afflicted the region but also on the political and economic front that has been ignored for the past decade. Syria, disregarded by the international community for far too long, has now become too relevant to be ignored, and amidst a crisis of unprecedented proportions, optimists speculate how proper humanitarian help can stem a new and better start for the Syrian People.