Eathquake in Turkey

While doing my regular morning routine of drinking green tea and watching the “Today show”, I saw a brief segment that I had to further investigate.A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Sunday. The death toll is now up to 370. Approximately, over 2,000 buildings have collapsed and rescuers continue to attempt to pull out survivors from the wreckage. In Ercis, the hardest –hit city, a 2-week old baby and her mother were pulled out a live two days after the quake. It is still unclear if the father had survived.

I thought it was rather interesting that at the beginning of this article and the news stations focused on the mother and child surviving but they neglected to state that seven other people were pulled from the rubble Tuesday and more bodies were discovered, raising the death toll.

Although hundreds of rescue teams from throughout Turkey have come to the area to assist with relief, the aid is not going to the area’s that need it. How horrible to think that people are trying to benefit from other peoples misfortune. They are taking tents and stoves leaving the earthquake victims without shelter and the ability to cook and feed their families. There were reports of fists fights in front of aid trucks. This is a time for people to work together and yet they are left to fight over aid? It sounds to me like there is a desperate need for more police and soldiers to make sure that the aid gets to the people who need it. Even though the government states they would set up temporary homes and plan to rebuild the destroyed areas, how is that going to help the immediate need? Nights get really cold without shelter. 

Reading this article makes me realize how amazing the people of Joplin are. The people of Turkey could really learn from them. Yes, we did have some looting. But all and all, the resident’s stuck together, helped each other when in need and they continue to help each other out.