The death toll in Turkey’s worst earthquake in recorded history has exceeded 24,500. And in neighboring Syria, more than 3,500 people died. With this, the death toll in Monday’s earthquake has increased to over 28,000.
By Sufian Siddique
The first earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale struck southeastern Turkey at 4:17 am on Monday. Then two more strong earthquakes hit on Monday afternoon and afternoon. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said that a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday afternoon local time in Turkey. In addition to Turkey, vast areas of Syria have also been destroyed by the terrible earthquake. Thousands of buildings collapsed. Dead bodies and injured are being recovered moment by moment. The death toll has reached nearly two thousand. This number is increasing rapidly. Thousands of people were injured.
Ordinary people are crowding in front of hospitals and collapsed buildings to look for their relatives. Most of the people were asleep when the earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday morning.
A total of 31,000 people have been rescued from the earthquake-affected areas in Turkey. About 80,000 injured people are being treated in hospitals. And more than 1 million people have become homeless and settled in temporary shelters due to the earthquake.
Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Okte said, “The government’s main goal is to provide permanent housing for these homeless people within the next year.” So that the victims get back to normal life and forget the trauma of the earthquake as soon as possible.’
UN emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said the total death toll in the two countries would more than double the current number.
The United States has announced an initial package of about 890 million rupees (8.5 million dollars) for emergency relief in Turkey and Syria affected by the earthquake. In addition to the United States, various countries around the world quickly sent aid to Turkey and Syria.
Apart from this, countries like Russia, China, Bangladesh, India, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Israel, Iran, Japan, Norway, and Spain have also promised cooperation. Middle East countries have also extended their support to Turkey. Qatar is sending 10,000 mobile homes to Turkey. Qatar is also sending field hospital equipment and humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan on Thursday sought help from Bangladesh as the country is struggling to overcome the enormous challenges of being hit by twin earthquakes and many aftershocks.
He said they are not interested in receiving cash support but winter clothes and medicines and other materials are preferred from Bangladesh.
In a media briefing at the Embassy, the Ambassador expressed gratitude to the government and people of Bangladesh for coming forward instantly after the earthquakes.
He said the next one or two days will be very crucial to save more lives. Referring to the Bangladeshi search and rescue team of 46 experts comprising military, fire service, and others, the Turkish diplomat said the team would operate in Gaziantep where people were still trapped in the rubble.
Hailing Bangladesh for declaring Thursday as “a day of mourning for the earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria,” he said: “We will never forget this act of solidarity.”
Bangladesh observed a one-day state mourning on Thursday (February 9) to condole the massive loss of life in recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The government issued a gazette in this regard on Wednesday. According to the Gazette, the national flag was flown at half-mast in all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, educational institutions, government-private buildings, and Bangladesh missions abroad.
A rescue team from Bangladesh has gone to participate in rescue operations in earthquake-ravaged Turkey. It will have five members each of the Bangladesh Army and Fire Service.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed grief over the loss of lives of hundreds of thousands of people in earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. She said that the government of Bangladesh and the people of this country are by their side in the days of such danger in Turkey and Syria.
In a condolence message on Monday, the Prime Minister prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims and expressed his deepest condolences to their family members.
Condolences Prime Minister assured all kinds of cooperation on behalf of the Bangladesh government. The Prime Minister wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. Earlier, President Abdul Hamid also expressed condolences in a separate message.
The government of Bangladesh has sent 11 tons of goods including medicines, sweaters, dry cakes, biscuits, blankets, and tents to the victims of the earthquake in Syria.
The relief items include 428 packets of dry cake (1110 kg), 347 packets of digestive biscuits (556 kg), 23 packets of blankets (1380 kg), 102 packets of tabu (4423 kg), 44 packets of medicines (980 kg) and 170 packets of sweaters (1300 kg). kg) is there.
On February 6, an earthquake hit the Turkey-Syria border region. The death toll in this devastating earthquake continues to rise. So far, the death toll has exceeded 21 thousand. 17 thousand 674 people have died so far in Turkey alone.
On the other hand, at least 3,377 people died in Syria. The rescuers are trying hard to rescue the people buried in the rubble.
A rescue team from Bangladesh, consisting of army and fire services, is also working there in Turkey. They have already recovered a teenage girl alive and several bodies from the rubble.
Bangladesh has long held an image of poverty, deprivation, and corruption in the minds of many that this negative image in fact overlooks Bangladesh’s humanitarian activities both in earthquake-affected countries as well as other countries, often when other more affluent and resource-equipped nations have not risen to the humanitarian need of the hour.
It is in this context that Bangladesh’s delivery of a sizable amount of emergency relief in the form of dried food, blankets, tents, and medicine to earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria as part of its ongoing efforts to broaden its network of humanitarian aid is commendable. Bangladesh’s timely humanitarian approach can contribute effectively to averting the acute shortage of food, shelter, and social services, ensuring basic socio-economic support to Syria and Turkey, and rebuilding the country.
It is evidence of the Bangladesh government’s commitment to regional brotherhood, humanitarianism, the integrated development of South Asia, the Muslim world, and its policy of cooperation towards everyone, regardless of strategic geopolitical alignments.
Bangladesh, now ranked first out of eight countries in South Asia, has also extended a helping hand to Sudan, which was unable to repay a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In response to the IMF’s call, Bangladesh stood by Sudan and granted a ‘debt waiver’ of US$650 million on 15 June 2022. Earlier, Bangladesh had also given similar benefits to Somalia (providing Tk. 8.2 crores; US$8.2 million approx.) to break its shackle of poverty as part of an IMF initiative.
What is the cumulative intention of all these humanitarian actions? Experts believe that Bangladesh is looking at deeper integration with its neighbors, ultimately branding Bangladesh positively by building its image globally. The country’s continuous activities of humanitarian support and its vocal stance on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and its active attempts to assist people in crisis around the world have made the country a symbol of humanitarianism. Despite its many shortcomings, Bangladesh sets an excellent humanitarian example. Establishing itself as a donor country, Bangladesh’s international image is expected to improve as a result of the grant being provided by the country The world must follow Bangladesh’s footprint of providing humanitarian aid. Although the amount of relief supplied by Bangladesh is small in comparison to the required funds, their rapid response is commendable. Following the Bangladesh example, the world needs to work with Afghanistan to save millions of people from dying of starvation and hunger.
Sufian Siddique is an independent researcher and freelance columnist, Dhaka.
