JERUSALEM, Israel – One day after the catastrophic 7.8 earthquake, a massive international rescue and aid effort is underway to help millions of Turkish and Syrian people, reeling from the worst natural disaster in nearly a century to hit the area.
The scenes are apocalyptic, as the quake toppled thousands of buildings in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, leaving millions without shelter in a region already plagued by political unrest and violence.
The death toll has topped 5,000, but it could soar into the tens of thousands, as millions of Turks and Syrians agonize over lost and missing loved ones.
A Syrian resident said, “A whole family of my cousin, his wife, his daughter, and his son – all of them died. They were taken out from under the rubble after about 8 hours.”
Many are now living in tents. A Turkish resident named Serkan explained that “My wife was terrified after the earthquakes, so we didn’t want to go back home. Neither did my kids. Our family came here to stay in the shelter.”
The pictures and videos on social media are heartwrenching. One picture of a boy with his hands in his face has been called the saddest picture on the Internet.
Another scene is of a father and son who died together as the father protected the son.
In still another one, a baby was born and then its mother reportedly died.
The anguish of the devastated people has touched a global chord.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “I think all of the world’s thoughts and condolences are with the people of this region who are suffering at this time.”
Dozens of nations, including Mexico, Holland, India, Spain and South Korea, have begun a massive aid effort to bring needed food, shelter and medical supplies, as well as search and rescue teams to help people dig out. USA Team 2 from Los Angeles is one of them.
Anthony Marrone, chief of the L.A. County Fire Department, said, “So these men and women and these dogs of the L.A. County Fire Department are really going to go place themselves in harm’s way to save lives, to dig people out and to help with the recovery. So it’s going to be a very dangerous mission. They’re prepared. They’re trained.”
As one of the nearest neighbors, Israel is sending aid, including an Israel Defense Forces team called Olive Branches. They flew out Monday night.
Hundreds of volunteers, rescue workers and members of non-governmental organizations also rushed to Istanbul Airport to join the effort.
The good news is that so far, nearly 8,000 people have been rescued out of the devastation. Rescuers are racing against time to save many more.
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