More than 7 million children, more than everyone living in Scotland, had their lives turned upside down by the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria just over a month ago. We know more than 50,000 people have died, amongst them thousands of children with thousands more badly injured.
Iyad (on the right) ran out of his home barefoot and with no clothes as the earthquake struck. Now, he and his 6 other members of his family have to live in the back of this van near his home in north-west Syria. Thousands other families are also living like this, having lost their homes and belongings.
"Whilst the earthquakes lasted only a matter of seconds, the aftermath will last for years."
About the earthquakes
In the middle of the night on Monday, 5th February, a huge earthquake shook a huge area of southern Turkey and north-west Syria – as big as the whole of mainland Scotland. It was one of the most powerful in the history of the region, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. There was another huge earthquake (7.5) later in the day.
What now for the children and their families?
Whilst the earthquakes lasted only a matter of seconds, the aftermath will last for years.
"In just a month, appeal has raised more than £10 million here in Scotland, more than £100 million across the UK."
Those who were badly injured need long term medical care, but many hospitals have been destroyed. The next most important need is shelter and warmth, it’s been freezing cold in this region since the earthquake. People also need food and clean water to keep them going and help them recover and avoid dangerous diseases like cholera which spread when water becomes contaminated.
In the longer term, all the buildings, roads, water and electricity supplies and all the normal life support systems we take for granted will need to be built. Children, in particular, will need a lot of support to cope with the terror and psychological effects of what they’ve seen and experienced, with so many losing mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters.
This is hard enough in Turkey, but in Syria, there has been a civil war for many years and millions there had already fled their homes before the earthquake.
The Disasters Emergency Committee
Following huge disasters like this, the UN coordinates the international response, here in the UK, 15 of the main aid charities in the UK come together as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). With the help of all the main TV and radio stations in Scotland and across the United Kingdom they send out urgent messages to ask everyone, if they can, to send money which can then be used to buy and supply the vital types of aid that are needed now. Increasingly, the DEC also relies on wider private sector support and a range of public sector networks to get our appeal messages out.
"It is crucial to discuss with children and young people why the impact of a disaster is much greater in some countries than others and recognising the role climate change plays in many these alongside poverty and inequality."
In just a month, appeal has raised more than £10 million here in Scotland, more than £100 million across the UK, being put to good use by DEC members to provide hot meals, blankets, sleeping mats and heaters to families whose houses are not safe to return to. In the months and years to come, the money raised here in Scotland and around the world will help charities like this continue to save lives and help people rebuild their homes and try and find some new kind of normal.
Many people and school communities want to donate blankets and food when disaster strikes. But giving money is the best thing you can do. In most cases, donating items doesn’t help those affected by disaster. At worst, it can slow down aid agencies’ ability to save lives.
Global Citizenship Education
Whilst urgent fundraising in the key objective for the DEC, there is also a key role we can play in educating pupils about humanitarian issues. Whilst this was a sudden, natural disaster, there are many other more complex disasters that DEC charities respond to. Increasingly, these disasters are the result of a sudden acute shock exacerbating chronic underlying issues such as poverty, inequality, ongoing conflict and of course the accelerating climate emergency.
School communities are good at responding to humanitarian crises through fundraising activities. However, it is also crucial to discuss with children and young people why the impact of a disaster is much greater in some countries than others and recognising the role climate change plays in many these alongside poverty and inequality. There are lots of useful education resources to aid these discussions with children and young people – check out the ‘Good to Know’ section in the top right hand column.
A new resource for teachers
As a member of the IDEAS Board, I am a passionate advocate for global citizenship education and believe the high-profile nature of disasters like the recent earthquake are a good route into wider discussion in to these critical global issues.
To that end, the DEC has for first time produced a resource to support discussion around this earthquake and hope to do the same in the future.
