Biggest recent earthquakes: What have learned from them?

These events offered insights into the challenges of natural disasters and the resilience required to overcome them.

Turkey

Positioned along the tumultuous Anatolian fault line, Turkey is no stranger to seismic activity. This fault, separating the Eurasian plate from the Anatolian plate in northern Turkey, is among the most active fault lines globally.

Notably, some of history's most catastrophic earthquakes, such as the devastating 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 that claimed over 17,000 lives, have been triggered by this fault.

Turkey's Seismic Vulnerability and Government Response

In February 2023, Turkey endured two tragic earthquakes, registering magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. With the death toll surpassing 50,000 (over 7,000 of which live in neighbouring Syria), the seismic event is the deadliest in modern history, surpassing Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011, which killed nearly 20,000.

These earthquakes had catastrophic consequences: over 6,500 buildings crumbled, leaving countless people without shelter, food, blankets or fuel to escape the city. The Turkish government faced criticism for its delayed and inadequate disaster response.

In the immediate aftermath, military forces were notably absent from the affected areas, leaving residents to fend for themselves. Many attempted to contact the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) but encountered significant difficulties, reported TIME.

In the days following the disaster, President Erdogan's focus appeared to be on limiting information. The Wall Street Journal reported that this was manifest in his attempts to censor communication platforms like Twitter and the arrest of residents for sharing "provocative posts" related to the earthquakes.

Challenges in Enforcing Building Standards in Turkey

Despite the 1999 earthquake prompting the Turkish government to institute an earthquake tax and enhance construction standards, the efficacy of these measures was questionable. Many newer buildings failed to adhere to building codes and older structures did not meet the set standards. 

Dr H. Kit Miyamoto, a structural engineer at Miyamoto International, told TIME, "In terms of regulations, Turkey has the most state-of-the-art code in [the building] design process. It's the application where we have big problems for building capacity and regulation consistency."

Furthermore, economic disparities between Eastern and Western Turkey resulted in variations in infrastructure standards, making the impacted region even more susceptible to earthquakes and aftershocks.

This socio-economic divide exacerbated the vulnerability of the region.

Lessons in Earthquake Risk Management

An investigation by The Guardian six months after the quake revealed that the government dumped rubble containing body parts and asbestos in residential areas during the cleanup process. 

In light of these events, the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) recommends urgent risk-management practices to assess building vulnerabilities in affected regions and reassess seismic hazards post-earthquake. It also calls for a thorough review and reappraisal of building codes and implementation approaches, alongside a commitment to seismic designs recommended by professionals and approved by regulatory authorities.

Morocco 

In September 2023, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Morocco sent shockwaves through the country, resulting in over 3,000 deaths.

Morocco's Tectonic History and Vulnerabilities

A rare event triggered the jolt - the African plate shifted northward and collided with the Eurasian plate. In geological terms, the tectonic collision was a significant event that has been unfolding for approximately 60 million years and marked the closure of a massive oceanic basin known as the Thesis, explained Sylvain Barbot, an earth sciences professor at the University of Southern California, to Middle East Eye.

While earthquakes of this magnitude are rare in Morocco, history serves as a reminder. In 1964, the city of Agadir bore the brunt of Morocco's deadliest earthquake, resulting in a loss of 12,000 lives.

Preserving Morocco's Heritage

Morocco's infrastructure was still unprepared for such violent shaking this time. Many structures crumbled under pressure, and the damage was widespread.

Mudbrick houses and traditional masonry buildings took the hardest hit. Morocco's iconic medieval landmarks were damaged, including the Tinmel Mosque in the High Atlas mountains and parts of Marrakech's Old City, including its ancient walls.

Barbot proposed mapping Morocco's earthquake fault lines to understand seismic risks and improve the Kingdom's disaster preparedness. He also suggested reinforcing older buildings with steel structures to make them more resilient to future seismic events and preserve Morocco's rich heritage.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is no stranger to the wrath of earthquakes, having experienced a series of devastating quakes over the years. In 2022, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of over a thousand people. A similar quake in 2015 saw 1,000 lives lost.

The horrors of 1998 were etched in memory when a deadly quake and a cluster of tremors killed a staggering 4,500 individuals.

Recent Earthquakes in Afghanistan

The latest chapter in Afghanistan's seismic saga began on 7 October, when a cluster of four earthquakes caused widespread damage. The most recent, a 6.3-magnitude tremor, struck on the 15th.

In October 2023 alone, these quakes have taken approximately 1,500 lives and left over 2,000 injured.

Inconsistencies in the Taliban’s Earthquake Reporting

Afghanistan's Taliban-led government raised suspicions after it released conflicting figures on the death toll from the October quakes. Reuters reported that the disaster management ministry revised the death toll from multiple earthquakes to around 1,000, a drop from an earlier figure of nearly 3,000.

The United Nations' humanitarian office's death toll is approximately 1,300 people, though the number remains uncertain.

Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan After the Earthquakes

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction released a statement on the disaster on their website: "The earthquake in Afghanistan comes at a time of extensive humanitarian needs and underlines the importance of investing in resilience and supporting the people of Afghanistan to build back better from disasters."

Afghanistan has been grappling with a humanitarian crisis ever since the Taliban assumed power following the departure of US peacekeeping forces. Women, in particular, have been profoundly impacted, and are restricted from working, attending school, or even leaving their homes without a guardian.

Most of those who lost their lives in the recent quakes were women and children, as they were often at home while the men were out working, as reported by UNOCHA's Reliefweb.

Displaced individuals are now seeking refuge in abandoned buildings, makeshift shelters, and tents, with some regions witnessing the complete devastation of every home. Women-headed households are particularly vulnerable, facing protection needs and challenges in seeking and obtaining humanitarian assistance.

Image by Çağlar Oskay