AYS News Digest 6/2/23: Death toll in Syria and Turkey continues to rise following devastating earthquakes
Demonstrations in Tunisia // Annual demonstration on the beach of el Tarajal // Italy provides Libyan authorities with a new patrol boat // Denmark welcomes first Afghan women who have been granted status solely based on gender // Moldova introduces a temporary measure for Ukrainian refugees similar to that of the ‘Mass Influx Directive’…
FEATURE: Two earthquakes have killed over 5000 people in Turkey and Syria
The first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 had its epicentre in southern Turkey. There were more than 100 aftershocks, including another quake of 7.7 magnitude. More than 3400 people have been killed in Turkey, and over 1600 people in Syria — the figures continue to increase as rescue teams work to find people in the rubble.
Multiple shocks were felt across the region, going as far as Lebanon and Egypt. In Syria, the earthquake hit a region which houses millions of displaced individuals.
Mercy Corps, who are working in North West Syria, state that shelter will be the most urgent need, and displacement will be on the rise. They have been working in the region since 2008, in camps, supporting forcibly displaced people who were already residing in precarious makeshift structures and will once again be displaced. Some people in remote areas of Syria have been displaced up to 20 times.
As Syria has been in conflict for 12 years, and the northwest region heavily divided and damaged, the conditions prior to the earthquake were already critical. There are currently freezing temperatures, effects of a recent cholera outbreak, and crumbling infrastructure.
Whilst there has been a strong and collaborative response from several countries, the current rescue operations are not enough to respond to this disaster.
Turkey’s Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, declared a national state of emergency and called for international assistance. In response to the earthquake, President Biden ordered USAID and other government agencies to assess a possible relief response.
Azerbaijan has sent a rescue team of 375 people. Several European countries have also sent search-and-rescue teams.
- Tens of thousands tents
- Heaters for the tents
- Tens of thousands of blankets
- Thermal clothing
- Ready to eat food for at least 5000 people
- Basic first aid kits
An emergency response coordination centre has been set up in Gaziantep to coordinate operations in the region.
Contact details:
Mr Muzaffer Baca, Vice President (+90 532 2344229) mbaca@ibc.org.tr
Alper Mavi, IBC Regional Programmes Coordinator in Gaziantep (+90 538 5159806) Alper.mavi@ibc.org.tr
SEARCH AND RESCUE AT SEA
A video by Aegean Boat Report (ABR) of 36 life rafts they found adrift at sea in January this year, carrying almost 600 people
Over the last three years, roughly 54,000 individuals have been pushed back, and the Greek authorities were involved in over 2000 cases (despite continuing to claim otherwise).
36 Life Rafts In January — Aegean Boat Report
Demonstrations against the lack of work being done by the Tunisian authorities to stop deaths in the Mediterranean
Deadly days along the Tunisian route to Europe — Alarm Phone | Alarm Phone
ITALY
As AYS has previously reported, the Italian government are attempting to establish an anti-NGO decree that could cost thousands of lives in the Mediterranean
The government provided a new ‘300 class’ patrol boat to the Libyan authorities — this is one of five patrol boats that will be provided to strengthen border control.
SPAIN
Annual demonstration on the beach of el Tarajal — remembering the 14 people who died trying to cross into Spain in 2014
The individuals who died in 2014 are: Yves, Samba, Daouda, Armand, Luc, Roger Chimie, Larios, Youssouf, Ousmane, Keita, Jeannot, Oumarou, Blaise, and one person who has still not been identified.
The demonstrations aim to fight against the European immigration policy that has cost the lives of so many people, and will continue to do so if significant changes are not made.
LATVIA
Letter addressing concern of pushbacks at Latvia-Belarus border
In a letter addressed to the Minister for the Interior of Latvia, Māris Kučinskis, published today, the Commissioner raises concerns about the reported continuation of pushbacks at the Latvian-Belarusian border which has led to severe injuries suffered by men, women and children and the death of one man.
MOLDOVA
Moldova introduces a temporary measure for Ukrainian refugees similar to that of the ‘Mass Influx Directive’
So far, the approximately 100,000 Ukrainian war refugees who are in the Republic of Moldova have only been “tolerated” there. Whilst Ukraine remains in a state of national security, Ukrainian refugees are allowed to remain in Moldova and access the labour force and welfare services. However, Ukrainian children were only allowed to go to school as guest students. Ukrainian refugees essentially lived in limbo, not completely allowed to settle. Now the government has decided to introduce temporary protection analogous to the “mass influx directive” which would reduce this state of limbo.
DENMARK
Denmark welcomes first Afghan women who have been granted status solely based on gender
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has made a ground-breaking decision, granting a mother and her daughter refugee status based solely on gender. The country has recognised the fact that being an Afghan woman in itself poses great risk of persecution upon return to Afghanistan.
This woman fled Afghanistan and fears her spouse or his family would kill her if she returned. She has had a child out of wedlock in Denmark and as adultery is punishable in Afghanistan, she fears she will be punished if she returns.
This decision comes at a time when the EU has recognised that Afghan women are at serious risk of persecution were they to return to Afghanistan: the restricted access to education, the workplace, and limited freedom of speech and expression.
WORTH READING:
- EU Member States’ Use of New Technologies in Enforced Disappearances — Border Violence Monitoring Network
- What the hell is No Name Kitchen? Happy 6th anniversary to all of us — No Name Kitchen
- Houthis Violating Women and Girls’ Rights in Yemen | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)
- The evolution of EUropean border governance through crisis: Frontex and the interplay of protracted and acute crisis narratives — Nina Perkowski, Maurice Stierl, Andrew Burridge, 2023 (sagepub.com)
- Facebook — Deportations from Lithuania to Nigeria taking place on the 7th and 8th of February
- Refugees granted legal resettlement in the UK plunge by 77% as Rishi Sunak prepares harsh new asylum laws (inews.co.uk)
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