By Sandro Galea, Photo: Hussein Malla/AP Photo, February 10, 2023
It has been hard to look away from the stories and images coming out of Turkey and Syria in the wake of the two recent earthquakes there that have left more than 33,000 people dead, a number which will undoubtedly rise. Each day brings a new haunting image, a new story of how the disaster has affected individuals and families, a new reminder of the devastating effect of mass traumatic events. The process of recovery will be long. The physical and mental health effects of disasters can last years, even a generation.
The images of disasters like the Turkey-Syria earthquake have become all too common in recent decades. Disasters are increasing, driven by factors such as war, urbanization, and extreme weather events. In the last 50 years, for example, climate- and weather-related disasters have increased fivefold. These disasters disproportionately harm countries with less economic resources. We are also in the middle of conflicts, like the war in Ukraine, which have led to mass injury and death in many regions.
It is easy to feel helpless when we hear news of widespread suffering, whether it is caused by natural disaster or human conflict. And yet, we have a fundamental human duty not to look away from mass traumatic events, to refuse to let the human toll of disasters become mere statistics, background noise to our otherwise normal days. From this basis of empathy, of bearing witness, we can engage in the work of shaping a world that is resistant to the mental and physical consequences of mass traumatic events.
Comments (0)