Turkey and Syria
Earthquakes

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1. When and where did the first earthquake strike?

At 4:17 a.m. local time on Monday, February 6, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, according to the United States Geological Survey. It was also felt in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon. Dozens of aftershocks, including a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye in the aftermath.

The earthquake’s epicentre was 26 km east of the city of Nurdagi in Turkey's Gaziantep province, at a depth of 17.9 km. The later Magnitude-7.5 event was around 4km south-east of Ekinözü in the Kahramanmaraş province. Syria's war-torn city of Aleppo is among those areas to have borne the brunt of a deadly earthquake. 

The earthquake struck an area that is home to millions of refugees already battling desperate circumstances.

2. When did earthquakes hit Türkiye's southern province of Hata?

On February 20, earthquakes of 6.4 and 5.8 magnitudes shook the southern province of Hatay, an already devastated by earthquakes just weeks earlier. 

Speaking from Hatay, Türkiye, Dan Stewart from Save the Children said: "There are heartbreaking reports of yet more collapsed buildings and power outages in a region where over 46,000 lives have already been lost and buildings destroyed. Children have been injured, lost loved ones, and many were already showing signs of acute distress. Hundreds of thousands of people have once again fled onto the streets in the bitter cold. Families who have already lost everything have just experienced another devasting blow."

3. Are earthquakes common in Turkey?

Turkey is an active earthquake zone. Experts note that most of Turkey sits on the Anatolian plate between two major faults, the North Anatolian Fault and East Anatolian Fault. 

4. What are the challenges to the ongoing relief efforts? 

12 years of conflict in Syria, the effects of the earthquake are being compounded by the existing destruction, fuel shortages and a collapsed economy. The harsh winter weather is also creating challenges, as rescuers battle freezing conditions. 

5. How have refugees and displaced people been impacted by the earthquakes? 

Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled their country's civil war, almost half of them children. The affected area in Turkey is also close to the Syrian border, where more than 6.8 million people were internally displaced in Syria before the earthquake.

Save the Children is concerned about the many already vulnerable Syrian refugees living in overcrowded and unstable accommodation in Turkey. The affected area in Syria is home to many vulnerable displaced people.

According to UNHCR, the exact number of refugees impacted is not yet know and might not be  for some days. It is feared the number of refugees impacted might be significant. 

6. What impact did the earthquake have?

Over 2,800 buildings have collapsed in Turkey, including hospitals, schools, and government buildings, with Save the Children racing to assess the immediate needs of children and their families.

Sasha Ekanayake, Save the Children Turkey Country Director, said:  "This is one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in 100 years and made thousands homeless, while the region is experiencing freezing weather and snowstorms. Schools in the affected areas are now closed for a week.  Our teams are moving quickly to check all our staff are safe, and to respond to the emergency, but it's crucial that the international community acts now to provide support to the thousands of people in need."  

7. How can I help survivors of the Turkey and Syria earthquakes?

Your donation to the Children's Emergency Fund enables us to respond to crises around the world, whether from conflict, climate change or natural disasters.

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