Instability and Vulnerability: The Aftermath of the Devastating Earthquake in Turkey
By Annabel Abdelal · Cogito XIV ·The Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS), used to measure earthquakes based on seismic movement, is logarithmic, meaning that each order of magnitude (or increasing number on the scale) is 10 times more intense than the last. On February 6, 2023, an earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, registering at 7.8 on the MMS. This disaster has resulted in the deaths of over 47,000 people as of late February. The earthquake was as strong as the largest ever recorded in Turkey in 1939. In addition to the devastating death toll, Turkey is facing other economic, political, and humanitarian crises such as an inflation spike, which was only worsened by the earthquake. A multitude of different countries such as the US, UK, Spain, Italy, and France, and organizations and schools including Nobles, are currently providing aid for the displaced and affected citizens of Syria and Turkey. Overall, Turkey was the most impacted by the earthquake and failed to respond to the crisis efficiently and safely.
The region of southeast Turkey most greatly affected by the earthquakes harbored some of its most important industrial and agricultural facilities. These facilities were central to the food and service industries as well as the chain of supplies, which provide essential resources to Turkish citizens including everyday groceries and financial support. According to a report by the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation, Turkey’s overall financial losses equate to the equivalent of about 10% of Turkey’s entire economy ($84 billion). Although these economic crises were provoked by the earthquakes, their instability existed previously. Turkey has been dealing with a cost of living crisis and a major inflation spike for the past 5 years. Additionally, over two million residents were displaced from their homes, which uprooted a significant portion of the country’s workforce. 1.7 million of the displaced citizens actually took shelter on nearby cruise ships such as the ‘Gemini.’ This alone makes it incredibly difficult for Turkey’s economy to be fully functional in the precarious times ahead.
Criticism of Turkey’s response to the earthquake is centered around its slow path to deploy its military for aid. Although the Turkish army (amounting to Nato’s second-largest ground force) could have been an effective and lifesaving aiding resource for the country’s recovery, it was not included as part of the original disaster response plan. A lack of coordination within the military contributed to the scattered and sluggish response to the devastating crisis. Turkish officials combat these claims with the fact of the military’s deployment of its search and rescue force, the Humanitarian Aid Brigade (days after the earthquake), however, this group only consists of about 400 members. Overall, Turkey’s response to the earthquake could have been more effective and efficient in saving lives with the help of a more coordinated military effort. The crisis has devastated thousands of people and their families, and their fight to recover is not over yet.
