Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria will deepen the region’s humanitarian struggles 

At least 2,600 people have been killed after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria in the early hours of February 6. roiling from years of conflict and economic and humanitarian crisis.

Syria’s more than 10-year civil war has ravaged the region for years, which is still suffering from a humanitarian emergency – and a chronic lack of funding.. Millions of people are displaced in Syria or have fled to Turkey, which is suffering from high inflation and a deepening economic crisis. The quake caused widespread damage and destruction in some of the region’s most at-risk areas.

Thousands are injured, and the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue in difficult, cold, and stormy conditions. Thousands of buildings collapsed, driving people from their homes or leaving them waiting in their cars as the aftershocks continued.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck near Nurdağı, in southern Turkey, according to the United States Geological Survey. Southeastern Turkey and northern Syria were among the hardest-hit areas, but the quake was felt as far away as Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel.

This disaster has affected an already fragile region, which has been devastated by the civil war in Syria, and an economic, humanitarian, and public health crisis. Turkey is facing a deep economic crisis, with a collapsing currency and extraordinary inflation that reached around 80 percent last year, the highest in 25 years. A survey from the end of summer found that almost 70 percent of those polled in Turkey have trouble affording food. For years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pursued heterodox economic policies, which include keeping interest rates low, leaving Turkey’s Central Bank with few tools to slow down the overheating economy. The economic cost of the earthquake is unclear, but the United States Geological Survey estimates it could be 2 percent of Turkey’s GDP.

This part of Turkey – including Gaziantep, which was close to the earthquake – also hosts many Syrian refugees. Turkey’s economic crisis has fueled a backlash against the country’s estimated 3.6 million Syrian refugees, who have faced poverty, discrimination, an increase in violent attacks, and the risk of deportation.

And in Syria, the civil war continues, and has created one of the world’s most persistent — and chronically underfunded — humanitarian crises. The earthquake caused widespread destruction in northern Syria, including the last rebel-held region in the northwest where an estimated hundreds of people were killed. About 4 million people there, many of whom have moved from other parts of Syria multiple times, depend on international humanitarian aid. Most of the food and medical aid came across the border from Turkey.

Humanitarian groups in the region fear the earthquake will deepen the humanitarian emergency. “Our colleagues in North West Syria report that the situation is catastrophic, with the earthquake-affected areas the center for more than 1.8 million displaced Syrians who have suffered after a decade of conflict in Syria,” said Kieren Barnes, Mercy Corps Country. Director for Syria, in a statement. “Already, 4.1 million people are starving in Western Syria and food insecurity has increased since the war in Ukraine began, with the price of essential food items and shortages of staples in some communities.”

About 2.1 million people in northwestern Syria are also at risk of a deadly cholera outbreak. The outbreak began in northeastern Syria, thanks to contaminated water from the Euphrates River — which people rely on, in part, because of water infrastructure damaged by years of war. About 47 percent of people in Syria rely on unsafe drinking water, a greater risk after the massive infrastructure damage caused by the earthquake. In northwestern Syria, in particular, the outbreak has taken a toll on a long-standing and under-resourced health system, which must now also find ways to treat those injured in the earthquake.

“Many in northwestern Syria have been displaced up to 20 times, and with fewer health facilities than even before this tragedy, many did not have access to the health care they needed,” said Tanya Evans, Syria country director for the International Rescue Committee. , said in a statement.

Ground fighting continues in northwest Syria, as deadly airstrikes, mostly from pro-government forces, hit northwest Syria. But for years, the Syrian government, with the help of Russia, attacked the cities of northern Syria, such as Idlib and Aleppo, and the surrounding areas, all of which have destroyed and damaged buildings and infrastructure. Tens of thousands have been living in makeshift shelters, camps, or tents. “What’s even more dangerous is that the bomb hit the building, which almost destroyed the infrastructure,” a White Helmets representative told the Washington Post.

Devastation extends to northwest Syria as the country has been overwhelmed by years of war and destruction. International sanctions against Syria have also exacerbated the economic crisis facing Syrians. The country is experiencing record poverty and food shortages. About 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line, and nearly 75 percent of Syrians struggle to meet their most basic needs. The war in Ukraine, which has raised food and fuel prices around the world, is also affecting the Syrian economy.

In Syria, too, where different and competing groups have control over different areas, there is a risk of unequal access to aid and assistance after the earthquake. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has few international friends, and although partners like Russia and Iran have offered support, it is likely that most Western governments will support humanitarian organizations, rather than provide direct support. John Kirby, chief coordinator of the National Security Council, said Monday on the call that the US is working with “humanitarian aid organizations that we routinely partner with to help with efforts on the ground and in Syria.”

And across the region, the crisis remains acute, as agencies and officials search the rubble for survivors and aftershocks continue to rock the region. The White House described the situation as “fluid,” and many humanitarian agencies are trying to assess the situation. The Guardian also reported that there are questions about the response capabilities of many aid agencies in the region, as many are based in places like Gaziantep, which were devastated by the earthquake.

The earthquake wreaked havoc in Syria and Turkey. It will likely improve what already exists – displacement, food, economy, and health – while creating something new and unpredictable.