TW: Distressing images, themes of death and distress
Last Monday, February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, killing thousands and leaving even more buried beneath the rubble.
In the image above, a father holds his dead daughter’s hand in the rubble of the earthquake that hit Turkey this past Monday (February 6). Mesut Hancer, the grief-stricken father, refused to let go of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak’s hand, who was sleeping peacefully when the earthquake struck. The photographer who took the photo, Adem Altan, snapped the painful picture and ended up conversing briefly with the father, who had difficulty speaking yet still insisted that the photographer capture his grief.
A plethora of heartbreaking stories such as the one depicted above have circulated throughout the media for the past week now, as rescue workers race against time to search for survivors.
This is the deadliest earthquake to strike Turkey in more than 80 years. Millions of Turkish residents and Syrians have become homeless overnight. Those who survived now face imminent peril as they go without food and water in the cold. Many have died of hypothermia as rescue workers struggle to reach victims. Helpless families watched their loved ones die as no help came. This past Thursday, the first UN humanitarian aid group crossed the north-western border of Syria through Idlib’s Bab al-Hawa crossing, which is the only route the UN can take to reach the affected region without traveling through areas controlled by Syrian government forces. Even then, many of these rescue groups do not possess the specialized equipment necessary to free people trapped underneath the rubble.
Although much debate has erupted over the governments of Turkey and Syria and their preparation for natural disasters such as these, what is more pressing is to provide immediate help to those stranded and displaced by the earthquake. This moment should not be politicized or exploited to cause division—it should be a time to come together as an international community. To cut to the chase, here’s how you can help:
Before you donate, do some research. There are many sites seeking to exploit this crisis and scam well-intentioned donors. To check the reputability and effectiveness of an organization, you can utilize sites like Charity Navigator and Guidestar. As always, be careful about providing any personal information, and ensure the validity of any donations you make.
Listed below are some organizations actively accepting donations and providing medical assistance, food, shelter, cash grants, and other basic humanitarian needs to those in need:
UNICEF
Doctors Without Borders
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Islamic Relief
The Syrian American Medical Society
Oxfam
The International Rescue Committee (IRC)
And our very own ADRA
In addition, please consider sharing this story and other information about the earthquake as the timeline unfolds. Even if you are not able to make a monetary donation, spreading awareness helps the people of Turkey and Syria during this devastating time.
From the Student Movement, our prayers go out to the people of Turkey and Syria.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.