The catastrophic earthquake that struck Southeastern Turkey and Northern Syria shortly after 4 AM Monday, February 6th has already taken the lives of over 21,000 people with thousands missing or trapped under collapsed buildings. The death toll is rising by the hour.
A First Responder from Turkey Looks for Even One Survivor of the Recent Massive Earthquake.
The World Health Organization predicts the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and its subsequent 200+ aftershocks will affect over 23 million people, and it is a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions.
Turkey
In the Hatay Province, of Turkey, the city of Antakya is the Biblical city of Antioch mentioned in Acts 11:26 as the place where new followers of Jesus were first called “Christians.” Sadly, it has been reduced to rubble. Uncharted has a growing work in the city and are heartbroken that some of these new believers in Underground churches lost their lives in this devastating earthquake. One such family was buried below a building; they were all rescued except the father, Ayhan, who died while helping his family to safety. He is 43 with a sweet wife and two precious children.
Syria
Here’s why this earthquake might be the most devastating one since the disastrous quake of 1939. The 12-year war in Syria has so weakened buildings and the integrity of the structures with continual bombings and explosions that once the quake hit and the aftershocks continued, they quickly imploded. Over half the Syrian population does not live in the homes they lived in before the war. The poverty, homelessness, and growing orphan population had already positioned the nation as the worst humanitarian crisis in 50 years. And that was before the massive earthquakes.
Uncharted has a team of 15 national leaders in Syria. They are safe and all accounted for praise God! Uncharted Syria is now busy deploying food, blankets, clothes, and shelter to the large number of those who have lost everything. Many above ground churches in Syria are now housing new refugees from this week’s disaster. Most of the people are Sunni Muslims from the area around the cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. The humanitarian crisis has given the team an excellent opportunity to share Christ with so many broken and desperate souls.
“I cry aloud Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy… Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need.” Psalm 142:1 & 6
