Pray For Turkey, be strong Turkish!

People in southeastern Turkey fajr prayer istanbul and northern Syria want our assistance since there have been more than 5,000 fatalities, thousands are still entrapped, and hundreds of people are without homes. Those who have been impacted by the earthquake will get access to essential water, food, shelter, and medical treatment thanks to your donation.

This is the most powerful earthquake to hit Turkey since 1939, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale.

According to the USGS, there are less than five earthquakes of this size that occur each year. There has been the collapse of thousands of structures, and those that are still standing cannot be accessed. Search and rescue personnel, together with regular civilians, are actively searching the area for anybody who may be buried or trapped inside the wreckage. Pray for Turkey! Pray for Syria!

The earthquake in Turkey is one of the deadliest this century. Here is why.

The catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday is blamed for the deaths of over 8,000 people and the injuries of tens of thousands more. Pray For Turkey!

Thousands of structures have been destroyed in the two countries, and relief groups are warning of “catastrophic” ramifications in northwest Syria, where millions of vulnerable people and displaced people were already dependent on humanitarian help

1. Where did the earthquake hit?

In the early hours of Monday morning, around 4 a.m., people were awakened from their rest by what has been described as “one of the most violent earthquakes to hit the region in a century.” According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi in the province of Gaziantep in Turkey. The epicenter was located at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles).
In the first few hours after the first event, the region was shaken by a string of aftershocks that resonated across the earth. Aftershocks measuring 6.7 in magnitude occurred 11 minutes after the first quake, however the USGS reports that the greatest earthquake, measuring 7.5 in magnitude, occurred almost nine hours later at 1:24 p.m. aftershocks of 6.7 in magnitude occurred 11 minutes after the initial quake.

More than a hundred aftershocks have been detected, but the 7.5 magnitude one that occurred about 95 kilometers (59 miles) north of the main quake is the largest one.

Search and rescue teams on both sides of the border are currently working against the clock and adverse weather conditions to locate and free trapped people. The disaster department of Turkey estimates that about 5,700 structures have been destroyed.

Another big earthquake struck Turkey on Monday; a 7.8 magnitude tremor struck the country’s east in 1939, killing over 30,000 people.

2. Why do earthquakes happen?

It is possible to experience an earthquake everywhere on the planet, from the highest peaks in the Himalayan Mountains to the lowest valleys in the globe, such as the Dead Sea, and even in the extremely cold regions of Antarctica. Nevertheless, the occurrence of these tremors does not follow a random pattern.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), an earthquake is “the shaking of the ground produced by a rapid slide on a fault.” The sides of the fault are brought closer together by stresses that occur in the crust of the planet.

During an earthquake, stress builds up, and then suddenly the rocks slip, releasing energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and generate the shaking that we experience.

Seismographs are used to measure earthquakes by monitoring the seismic waves that propagate through the Earth after an earthquake has occurred.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) is a more accurate measurement of a quake’s size than the Richter Scale, which was formerly used by scientists and was in use for a significant amount of time in the past. Many people may be familiar with this term. Pray For Turkey!

3. How big is a 7.8 earthquake?

The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of how powerful it is. The depth of the quake, as well as the surrounding geology and terrain, can all have an impact on the degree to which the ground is shaken. Each whole number increase on the magnitude scale corresponds to 32 times the amount of energy that is being measured.
On this particular occasion, the shaking from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the southern region of Turkey could be felt as far away as Israel and Lebanon, which are located hundreds of kilometers away.
Due to its location along the boundary of tectonic plates, Turkey is no stranger to experiencing powerful earthquakes. In the previous 25 years, the country has been hit by seven earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher; nevertheless, the one that occurred on Monday was one of the most powerful.

It is also the biggest earthquake to strike anywhere in the planet since an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 rocked an area near the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean in 2021, however the occurrence caused relatively little damage due to its distant position at the time.

According to Karl Lang, an associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech University, the region that was affected by the earthquake on Monday is one that is prone to seismic activity.

The area is prone to earthquakes. According to Lang, “it’s a very large fault zone, but this is a greater earthquake than they’ve experienced any time in recent memory, including when they’ve experienced it any other time.”

“The intensity of the shaking that is felt on the surface is a consequence not only of the total quantity of energy that is released, which is proportional to the magnitude of the earthquake, but also of the depth to which that energy is released below the surface. Therefore, it is possible for it to be rather hazardous if it is located extremely near to the surface and if it is a shallow earthquake.

What can we do to support Turkey and Syria?

1. Donation

A number of countries have already promised to contribute to the relief effort. The United Kingdom has committed to sending a group of 76 search and rescue personnel along with a squad of rescue dogs to Turkey. The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has conveyed his sympathies and stated that his administration is making preparations to offer assistance.

Consider donating to the following organizations to help:

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

The UNHCR is currently in Turkey and Syria providing high thermal blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, jerry cans, sleeping mats, winter clothing kits, and winter jackets.

UNICEF

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has also mobilized aid to Syria, and is focusing on assessing the impact the quake had on water stations and any other interruptions to services. It is also assessing the damages schools face. UNICEF said another priority is helping unaccompanied children find their families.

2. Pray For Turkey and Syria with heart

The residents of southeastern Turkey have seen more than 8,000 people lose their lives, thousands more remain stranded, and hundreds more people become homeless as a result. Pray For Turkey by showing your support to earthquake’s victim through these items.

Conclusion

We pray for the neighbors and community leaders who can aid in places devastated by the earthquake. Emergency assistance and international aid benefit so much when it’s used correctly. Still, we know that so frequently, the folks who can give the most aid are those living next door. Warm their hearts, and teach them methods to offer food, clothing, basic medical treatment, or a place for them to stay.