ABU DHABI, 12th February, 2023 (WAM) — The quake that hit Turkiye and Syria early this week, and which has resulted in the death of over 24,000 people and left many more thousands homeless, has revealed not just the intensity of the quake, but it has also shown up other problems, a local newspaper commented.
“The mountains of rubble that got piled up because of the deadly quake had become the biggest obstacle in relief work. More people seem to have died because rescue workers could not reach them in time,” Gulf Today said in a recent editorial.
Even as rescue workers continue to search for survivors, and they miraculously found babies and their mothers still gasping for life beneath the rubble, it seemed that there was life and hope in the middle of utter devastation.
What seems to be slowing down rescue and relief work is the inclement weather with winter temperatures plummeting, and thousands of survivors stranded with no roof over their heads. It will indeed take a very long time for the cities to be rebuilt and the people rehabilitated. It is evident then that the humanitarian aid for the survivors must continue for many months more.
There are no simple solutions for the reconstruction of the towns and cities in south-east Turkiye and north-west Syria. Apart from huge funds, what will be needed is cooperation among governments, international agencies and the stranded people, the newspaper continued.
Unlike cyclonic storms in tropical countries and snow blizzards in the temperate climates where warnings could be given and people moved to safe shelters, earthquakes knock without warning. What can possibly be done is to plan urban habitats in such a way that there are not too many tall buildings, and the houses are built with materials that makes their clearance easier, and also maintain sufficient open public spaces, the Abu Dhabi-based daily concluded.