International rescue organisations have made their way to Turkey following the catastrophic earthquake that hit the region yesterday. With the death toll sitting at 5 000, authorities are expecting the number to increase as search and rescue operations continue.

When citizens in Turkey and Syria went to bed on 5 February 2023, none of them expected the disaster they would be woken up to, nor the tragedy they would witness. What was a normal evening for both countries, turned into a nightmare that has not been experienced in over a century in the region.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck the region in the early hours of the morning, leaving over 5 000 people dead, much more injured and thousands of others missing and trapped underneath the rubble. 

The earthquake was the first of its kind in over a century and saw tremors shortly afterward that leveled more homes and infrastructure.

Many leaders and organisations have since pledged to send aid with some having already made their way to the hard-stricken region.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his condolences to both nations where he expressed his appreciation for the humanitarian organisation, ‘Gift of the Givers’ for their response to the cry for help in the region.

The Joburg Post (JP) reached out to the embassies of Turkey and Syria to get insight on the state of both nations at the moment and whether they have received any communication of assistance from the South African government.

Turkey has the highest death toll at the moment, with more than half of those affected located in the country. Speaking the Turkish Embassy, it was revealed that the death toll continues to rise, with fears of it possibly reaching 20 000 as mentioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The embassy further expressed that it had received communication from the South African government of aid that would be sent to Turkey.

Unfortunately, not the same could be said for Syria.

A country stricken by civil war seems to now have more to deal with as infrastructure is now in ruins in some parts of the country. 

When speaking to the Syrian embassy, it was revealed that it had not received any information or communication from the South African government of assistance being sent to Syria, adding that any aid is welcome.

JP tried reaching out to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) and received very little insight into why the two countries received some or no communication.

The department was unable to confirm the accuracy of what was brought up by the two embassies, adding that communication to the two nations is still being finalised.

This is a developing story. More updates to follow.


To help in humanitarian efforts for those living in Syria affected by the earthquake, you can donate to the following account: