The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in early February has devastated the region. To add to the crisis, the area had already been dealing with a massive influx of refugees and a decade-long war. Yet, despite its political and financial implications, this natural disaster offers the United States a diplomatic opportunity to mend its relationship with Turkey and Syria.
The quakes have led to the destruction of thousands of buildings, a death toll of around 47,000 people, and millions in need of aid. Though the chances of rescuing survivors decline each day, disaster relief services continue to support the region. For example, Turkey declared a three-month emergency in 10 provinces and mobilized over 230,000 relief workers, thousands of vehicles, and a makeshift healthcare system to assist earthquake recovery efforts. This mobilization rescued countless lives, but there’s still a shortage of workers on the front lines.
Though Turkey’s partnership with Russia has strained the U.S.-Turkey relations, the United States sent hundreds of additional personnel to Turkey to help with earthquake relief efforts, announced $85 million in humanitarian assistance, and worked with Turkish teams in Adiyaman to conduct search and rescue operations.
In the aftermath of the earthquake in Syria, the only border crossing for aid into northwestern Syria approved by the United Nations (UN) was initially out of service. This further exacerbated an already desperate situation for the many people who were displaced and struggling to survive in the region. On February 13, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria agreed to open two additional border crossings from Turkey, which allowed the UN to deliver humanitarian relief to Syrian revolutionaries. This moment marked the first time since the start of the Syrian Civil War that al-Assad has cooperated in opening opposition-held areas to aid.
The Syrian government has blamed U.S. sanctions for worsening the country’s humanitarian crisis, and, despite calls to lift prior sanctions, the State Department has refused. These sanctions refer to export sanctions and ineligibility to receive most forms of U.S. aid or permission to purchase U.S. military equipment in Syria due to their presence on the list of states that sponsor terrorism. Despite these claims, none of the sanctions have hindered international aid. In fact, the U.S. has called on the Syrian government to allow aid through all border crossings, pledging to offer continued humanitarian assistance if it receives welcome support from the Syrian government.
As the quakes continue, the disaster has offered a moment of peace in the ongoing Syrian Civil War, and attempts to recover from it must be utilized by the United States to support not just the recovery of Syria, but the resolution of the military conflict. Although the United States has no legal responsibility to aid in international conflicts, the humanitarian crisis offers the U.S. government a valuable opportunity to mend diplomatic relationships.
Natural disasters as methods of building diplomatic relationships have long been ignored. In a time of such high political tension between the United States and Syria, the U.S. has fantastic potential for mending the relationship. The United States is posed with a unique circumstance: the ability to protect lives overseas and increase the U.S.’s presence on a global stage.
