Earlier this month Turkey and Syria suffered their first earthquake of the year. On February 6th, a magnitude 6.3 aftershock struck Turkey’s Southern province hitting Northern Syria. The aftermath of the quake is genuinely heartbreaking.

Many believe this is the second-biggest earthquake to hit Turkey since 1939. Earthquakes of magnitude 6.3 are so rare that an average of fewer than 5 earthquakes hit the planet annually. Around the time the earthquake happened, many people were still in bed sleeping, which explains why many survivors are being pulled out from under the debris by multiple recruiters. There were about 5,700 buildings that collapsed because of the earthquake. This earthquake is known to be the deadliest in Turkey’s history. Many homes were destroyed causing several people to be stuck under the rubble of their houses. 

There were more than 40,000 people that were killed in this tragic event. In Syria, the death toll lingers at around 6,000. According to the president of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, more than 800,000 people had to live in tents due to the houses collapsing. 

Two weeks later, on February 20th, Turkey suffered from another earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 resulting in increased injuries and the death toll. 

Because of all the damage, there’s been done in turkey, there are a few organizations we can donate to like the Direct Relief Organization and the SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society Foundation). Donating to these foundations will help Turkey and Syria repair all the damage that’s been done in their country.