We’ve just got some news in to us.
Another earthquake has struck
the Turkish-Syrian border region.
Now, at this point in time,
we understand it has a magnitude of 6.4.
We don’t have any other details
at this stage about the damage.
This, of course, comes two weeks
after that devastating earthquake
that killed more than 47,000 people
and left mass destruction
across that area.
I want to go to Adana, Turkey,
where I’m not
a bus here is standing by nada.
We’re just getting
some very brief information into us.
But I understand
you’ve been speaking again to survivors
of that major earthquake
from from two weeks ago.
I can’t imagine how traumatized
many more people are
with another earthquake having just hit
Linda,
it is
astonishing that people here are still,
of course, reeling from this earthquake.
And now
there is news of another earthquake, 6.4,
according to the Emergency
Disaster Management Authority
here in Turkey.
Epicenter so far reported
in the province of Hatay,
which was one of the hardest hit
by this month’s earthquake.
Some 80% of the buildings
that collapsed about to collapse
or have been deemed
necessary of demolition
because they are simply so unsafe.
And I have to say, here in Adana,
we have quite a way away
from that
epicenter reported
just in the last half hour or so.
And we felt the tremor
to the extent that this entire hotel
that we’re currently in at the moment
evacuated the building,
many rushing out, children
being pulled out of fear.
And you can imagine the trauma,
the emotional trauma
that these people in southeastern Turkey
have already been through.
So much loss, so much destruction.
There is still so much
fear here in southeast Turkey.
So to go through that again
is difficult to explain.
And we felt it over here.
But of course, it is reported
that that epicenter
of the
worst of the tremors was felt
further east
towards Gaziantep and Hearts.
And we are still learning
more details about this,
still waiting for more information
from the authorities
regarding the extent
of this latest quake,
the extent of the potential destruction
and damage.
This may or may not have caused.
But, of course,
there is a real sense of urgency,
growing pressure
on the Turkish government
and authorities,
a real sense of fear here
among the Turkish population.
And of course, there’s already
been so much devastation
so much destruction.
And we are learning
that the Turkish authority
is trying to step up,
called for accountability.
They are carrying out an investigation
into reports of building codes,
not being respected or enforced properly.
So far, more than 400 people identified
as potential suspects.
At least 120 people arrested.
And we’re talking about the destruction
and the devastation.
More than 100,000 buildings
have been so far examined
and have been deemed
as requiring the demolition
of already collapsed.
And there are still hundreds
more thousands of buildings
to be assessed and evaluated.
So this is a significant feat
for the Turkish government.
And this latest
term of this latest quake
is only going to add to that.
And we’ve been speaking
to some of those impacted
by the earthquake.
Some of them have already been evacuated
to other parts of the city,
including in Istanbul,
where we were able to meet with
some of the children
who have sadly lost their loved ones
and separated from families.
Some have lost their parents
and their names still unknown.
Take a look.
The laughter
hides their loss pulled from the rubble.
The parents still missing
the identities of some.
A mystery.
This orphanage has become home to
some of Turkey’s youngest
earthquake survivors.
Authorities
say the search
for living relatives continues,
but some of these children
are believed to have lost everyone
in better children.
When we first received these children,
we observed
signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The children were very fragile.
So as well as providing shelter
and security to these kids,
we also began providing
psychosocial support
outside the devastation wrought by
the earthquake
has left countless children
orphaned
or separated from their loved ones.
And while authorities say they are so far
managed to reunite more
than 900 children with their families,
many are still waiting to be processed.
And NGOs
fear that
millions could be at risk
of acute psychological distress.
They already have their loved ones lost.
They already have their homes lost.
They already have their schools lost.
All schools are gone.
But if they also lose their hopes,
that means loss of generations.
That loss
is all
too familiar to this Syrian family.
Three generations now temporarily hosted
in this small one bed apartment
in Istanbul.
Their home in Antakya,
now a mountain of rubble
26 year old
Raghad says she was the first week
when the earthquake struck,
pulling her mother and forces
to safety
just moments before their home collapsed.
When the earthquake happened.
I, I think it’s your judgment day.
Yes.
That is a very a very big sound
that it’s not going out from my head.
Every time it’s your window here.
Yes.
But this is not the first time
Raghad and her family
have face a tragedy of this magnitude.
Originally from the Syrian city of Homs,
the constant
barrage of airstrikes
forced the family
to flee their home in 2014.
But having her life
upended by catastrophe
time and time again
has taken its
toll on their mental health.
That’s not my first time.
I get a life from a war or something bad.
And every time I said, why
I’m not why, I’m asking myself, why?
Why am I life?
Maybe it was easy.
If I am not,
then easier than going through it.
Yes, because it’s not
my first time that I start from zero.
Starting from 04.
These children may not be as challenging
It’s a catastrophe.
They are simply too young to understand.
But just like other than her family,
their lives have been changed forever
by the earthquake.
And now there is still mounting pressure
on the Turkish government.
There are still further
calls for international support
and just over the weekend and today, U.S.
State Antony Blinken was visiting
those affected areas, announcing
further funding support
for the humanitarian relief
effort from the US government,
now totaling about $180 million
to both Turkey
and Syria in support of that aid effort.
But of course
the destruction is widespread.
This is a process
that is going to take months,
if not years,
and that need for international support
is only going to grow. Linda.
All right.
Not a big share for us in Adana Turkey.
Thanks so much for that report.
We will bring you more details
on that latest earthquake
to hit the Turkish-Syrian
border as it comes to hand.
You may also like
