Written by Tabitha Wedemann
Image credit: Ghaith Alsayed/AP
A once-in-a-century earthquake has killed thousands across Syria and Turkey this week and hit the hometowns of many Forth Valley Welcome-supported New Scots. 17,000 deaths have been confirmed by government officials so far, with vital infrastructure such schools and hospitals badly damaged.
The fatal tremors first awoke people in the early hours of Monday and were felt as far as in Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus and Greece. Freezing winter conditions have been complicating rescue operations and threatening to take further lives as people are left in the snow and rain without shelter. Turkey’s president Recep Erdogan has announced a state of emergency in response to what he called “the worst disaster of the century”, while in battle-scarred Syria the devastation adds to the plight of a decade-long civil war.
Cities like Kobani and Aleppo – which New Scots in Stirling have fled to escape the precarious humanitarian situation – are hit hard as people were already living in unsafe housing with limited basic services. What was left is now buried by rubble. Water access is a particularly pressing concern as a cholera outbreak has been simmering in Syria since August, with over 100 deaths reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
As communities struggle to cope, international support has been obstructed by the region’s ongoing political turmoil. The devastation in Turkey temporarily halted aid flows through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, the only lifeline for the rebel-held Syrian northwest.
Despite these obstacles, relief efforts are underway. The Scottish government has pledged £500,000 in aid and UK charities have launched a joined appeal coordinated by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). In Stirling, “My Dessert House” in Upper Craigs is currently taking donations such as tents, milk formula, and sanitary products.
