In the early hours of February 6th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake blazed across southern Turkey and northern Syria, flattening thousands of buildings and leaving their inhabitants trapped in the rubble. More than 5000 people have lost their lives already and another 20,000 have been injured. It is projected that the numbers may rise even further as rescue and relief efforts uncover the full scale of the damage. The earthquake is already being described as one of the “strongest natural disasters of the century”. Earthquakes are not all that uncommon in Turkey. Situated at the intersection of three of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s crust, Turkey is a highly seismically active zone. The region has experienced several deadly earthquakes in the past, including the 1939 quake that killed over 30,000 people. In neighbouring Syria, at least 1,500 people have died across government-controlled areas. The majority of those affected are displaced persons who fled to opposition-controlled areas when the Syrian conflict erupted over a decade ago. The region depends on international aid, most of which is supplied by its neighbour, Turkey. Syrian communities were already battling a severe cholera outbreak amid a bitter winter with snow and heavy winds when disaster struck. The earthquake has also damaged several archaeological sites in the region, including the 13th Century Aleppo Citadel, a rare remnant of Syria’s pre-war history. Turkey’s Union of Engineers and Architects have made numerous calls for earthquake-resilient infrastructure in the past. The government has made pledges to reform the country’s infrastructure many times in the past but over time, new developments undid or backtracked many of the planned improvements. Earthquake air evacuation points were transformed into high-rise buildings, leaving the country without a safety valve in the event of a major disaster. If these earthquakes have proved anything, it is that countries are simply not equipped to deal with the unique challenges of a natural disaster. Countries who have the misfortune of being located on a tectonic plate must design buildings in accordance with earthquake-safe codes. Until then, the international community must pledge unconditional support to Turkey and Syria so that they are able to deal with this crisis. *