This week there have been harrowing images emerging from Turkey and Syria following the biggest earthquake in the region since 1939. There were two earthquakes in succession, both at over 7.5 in magnitude. The death toll continues to rise with estimates now at over 9000 killed. Appalling natural disasters of this sort put the rest of the world's problems into context and the speed at which such events happen leaves us feeling powerless in the face of such devastating natural forces.
This is a part of the world that has been through a lot in recent years with the civil war in Syria and these remote places have limited emergency services to be able to respond, particularly given the scale of the devastation. Despite the tiny window of opportunity that exists to try to rescue survivors, it is essential that we mobilize immediately to offer and deploy help. The first 72 hours after such events are critical. Britain responded immediately and despatched support to Turkey the following day on Monday. This included a team of 76 search and rescue specialists as part of our international search and rescue team. They traveled with equipment and rescue dogs and linked up with efforts from other neighboring countries. In Syria, the conflict there has made the deployment of British help more complicated, but the UK aid-funded "White Helmets" were immediately mobilized, and the government is working closely with our UN partners to understand the direct impact and options. This initial deployment was followed by other expert teams from the fire brigade with specialist equipment who joined rescue teams from around the world.
In the aftermath of these events, there is also a huge humanitarian crisis to deal with as hundreds of thousands find themselves displaced from their homes, as energy supplies and key infrastructure are down, and all of this is exacerbated by a bitterly cold winter in the region. It will be essential for aid support to be mobilized as quickly as possible to support the region. Cornwall is home to the Shelterbox charity which comes into its own during such tragic events providing temporary shelter and other equipment. They are already responding and preparing to send support. They are sending an emergency response team to assess needs in the region. Given the cold winter, this is likely to include thermal blankets, stoves, and thermal lights given the loss of power. Those who want to help can donate at www.shelterbox.org
Earthquakes and volcano eruptions are notoriously difficult to predict wherever they occur in the world. With a volcano eruption, scientists can identify the key signs a few days or sometimes a week in advance allowing time for evacuations but that is not possible with earthquakes. The best that scientists can do is assess probability within a given time frame of years and it, therefore, makes it near impossible to plan ahead for such events. Like the Tsunami in Asia in 2005, it means that there are sometimes terrible and harrowing tragedies of this sort, and we must just be there to offer as much support and help as we can in the aftermath.
