7 facts about the Syrian conflict
In March 2011, peaceful protests in Syria escalated into brutal conflict that’s still ongoing. Read 7 facts about the conflict in Syria.
On February 6 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Türkiye (formerly known as Turkey) and northern Syria, followed by a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake. Thousands of aftershocks followed.
ShelterBox Programme Manager Sam Hewett, and Dr Sam Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Geology at the University of Exeter, explain why these earthquakes were particularly devastating.
Southern Türkiye and northern Syria sit in a part of the world known as a ‘triple junction’, where three of the earth’s tectonic plates meet. The region is extremely vulnerable to seismic activity.
During the earthquake these three tectonic plates collided at the same point. The length of the fault zone during the first earthquake was roughly 300km long, while the second earthquake ran at 140km. This was the strongest disaster in Türkiye in a century.
The timing of the first earthquake was particularly unfortunate. While earthquakes tend to come on quickly, people only have a few moments to react and attempt to get to safety. This earthquake struck at night while people were inside in their beds, with little chance to react.
Raawa, 7 years old and Basma, 7 years old, wearing the winter coats that were included in our aid distribution
The earthquakes affected people in Türkiye and Syria in different ways. This is due to the level of economic, social, and physical vulnerability of those living in these regions.
Why was Syria vulnerable?
Why was Türkiye vulnerable?
Sorting aid items and preparing for distributions in our warehouse in Gaziantep, Türkiye.
We are providing crucial shelter items to families in both Türkiye and Syria.
Items include tents, stoves, blankets, mattresses, solar lights, and children’s winter coats. These items will help people surviving this ongoing nightmare, protecting them from the winter weather, preventing the spread of disease, and providing some privacy as they get back on their feet.
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