2023 Turkey–Syria Earthquake

The 2023 Turkey–Syria Earthquake was a devastating sequence of major earthquakes that struck southern and central Türkiye and northern and western Syria on 6 February 2023.

The 2023 Turkey–Syria Earthquake was a devastating sequence of major earthquakes that struck southern and central Türkiye and northern and western Syria on 6 February 2023. The first quake had a magnitude of 7.8, followed hours later by a strong aftershock, causing widespread destruction, tens of thousands of deaths, and a major international humanitarian response.

Earthquake sequence

The disaster began with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake near Gaziantep, followed by a major magnitude 7.5 quake later the same day. Thousands of aftershocks followed, intensifying rescue and recovery efforts.

Impact

The earthquakes caused widespread destruction across southern Türkiye and parts of Syria, including collapsed residential buildings, damaged hospitals and schools, and major infrastructure losses. Millions of people were affected by displacement and service disruption.

Casualties and damage

The death toll exceeded 55,000 across both countries, with Türkiye reporting 53,537 confirmed deaths and Syria reporting thousands more. Damage estimates later ran into tens of billions of US dollars.

Humanitarian response

The scale of destruction triggered a large international relief effort involving governments, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations. Emergency shelter, medical care, food assistance, and debris removal became urgent priorities.