Charity launches fresh engineering appeal following latest Turkey and Syria earthquakes

Turkey and Syria were hit by two new earthquakes on Monday, just two weeks after two stronger earthquakes devastated the region on February 6.

RedR has been supporting structural engineers and construction professionals in the region since the first earthquake, but is now issuing a new call for funding and support.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “In light of the additional 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck on February 20, we have used our network of contacts and stakeholders both locally and internationally to coordinate a joint and synchronized response.

“Thousands of buildings have collapsed, leaving people homeless in the freezing winter conditions as aftershocks continue to rage. The affected areas are already facing complex humanitarian crises. Türkiye hosts the largest refugee population in the world.

“War-ravaged north-west Syria is already facing record humanitarian needs. The massive aftershock of February 20 only made the situation worse.”

The charity’s initial response ensured that 165 local engineers in Türkiye and Syria were trained to conduct contextual rapid seismic damage assessments to determine if buildings are safe for people to return.

RedR has also contracted 80 international structural specialists to assist engineers in remotely assessing structural damage. It collects and distributes open source resources and tools, collects and distributes how-to guides, and develops an in-depth, specialized four-week damage assessment training program for 20 local engineers and a training course for 20 trainers.

The spokesman continued: “We need £260,000 to provide further life-saving support over the next three to six months, which is urgently needed on a large scale. £120,000 will train 1,500 engineers both online and in person in rapid damage assessments, allow 100 trainers to assist others with on-site assessments and support the assessment of 200 buildings.

“£50,000 will support 600 engineers on more complex assessments, debris removal, repair and debris management. £90,000 will train 1,000 responders on key learning needs.”

Monday’s earthquake struck the city of Defne in Turkey’s Hatay province and was recorded with a magnitude of 6.4 and a depth of 10 km. According to the Turkish Presidency for Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD), a magnitude 5.8 earthquake and 31 less severe aftershocks followed three minutes later.

The tremors were felt in the provincial capital of Antakya and in the province of Adana, 200 km to the north.

Media in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Aleppo are reporting that buildings have collapsed and power and internet services are partially disrupted. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Hatay has further confirmed that a number of buildings in the city had collapsed and people were trapped inside.

AFAD said the latest quakes killed eight people and injured 294 others, while the death toll for the February 6 quakes totaled more than 40,000.

More than 8,000 buildings are said to have collapsed in the previous two earthquake events, while severely damaging the region’s supply chain infrastructure, including roads, railways and the Iskenderun seaport. Earthquake engineering experts said NC how the unusual nature of two earthquakes of similar magnitude in close proximity to one another contributed to the fragility of the region’s already unstable infrastructure.

Ahead of the recent earthquakes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said construction of nearly 200,000 homes will start next month in 11 earthquake-hit provinces. He has been criticized over plans to rush into a reconstruction that could give Turkey an infrastructure just as vulnerable to seismic events.

Donations to RedR to support emergency response in Turkey and Syria can be made here.

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