Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Two weeks after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the extent and consequences of this disaster are becoming increasingly clear. Tens of thousands of people have died, thousands remain missing, hardly any survivors are being recovered; hundreds of thousands of people in the region have been affected. Grief and suffering are unimaginable.

On behalf of the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to all those who are missing or have lost family members, friends, and colleagues. At the same time, I would like to express my expectation that every effort will be made by the government in both countries to comply with building standards and to construct or retrofit earthquake-resistant buildings so that the extent of suffering caused by such natural disasters can be reduced in the future.

Many relief efforts are underway, but the people in the region will need our help for a long time. Anyone who would like to support the initiatives for the region and on site can find out about suitable ways to do so from the German Federal Foreign Office.

Jutta Allmendinger
President of the WZB

20.2.23