On the morning of Feb. 6, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, resulting in widespread destruction and tragic losses of life. According to Reuters, there was a staggering death toll of over 45,000 people and another two million were displaced. The earthquake impacted people around the world whose families and friends were affected by the event, including students at Palo Alto High School.

For sophomore Lara Dumanli, the earthquake was particularly impactful because both her parents were born in Turkey and much of her family still lives there. 

“My family directly was not affected by the earthquake, but I know people, friends of mine, who have had to evacuate their homes because they’re close to where the fault line is,” Dumanli said. “I feel very hopeless emotionally because I’ve spent the majority of my childhood summers in Turkey and it kind of feels like I’m not there. And it feels like I’m doing a dishonor to my relatives.”

Dumanli expressed her frustration at the circumstances of the earthquake and said she believes the devastation was exacerbated by the instability and corruption in Turkey which prevented important infrastructure from being built despite it being one of the world’s most active earthquake regions.

“I know that this earthquake, the level of disaster it created, could have been prevented, and I feel like there’s someone that should have been blamed for that,” Dumali said.

Dumanli said the earthquake prompted complicated feelings for her as someone who was far from the disaster while her family and loved ones were affected. 

“A lot of immigrants feel guilty coming from a country that isn’t developed to coming to, for example, Canada or America, where it is developed,” Dumanli said. “It’s like, you left them when they’re most vulnerable.”

Senior Mert Yanar, whose relatives in Turkey were forced to relocate due to the damage caused by the earthquake, said that the earthquake did not receive the attention it warranted in the Paly community. 

“For being an event that killed 45,000 people, I feel like it wasn’t really talked about even though most people knew about it just because it’s not near us,” Yanar said. “If this happened in America, it would be seen as a much more catastrophic event.

Dumanli has visited Turkey often in the past but said that this year, her plans to visit this summer may be affected by the earthquake. 

“We’ll see how the environment is, especially because the places I go to are very poor and they’re very underdeveloped and dangerous, Dumanli said.”

Looking toward the future, Dumanli explained that there are ways to help even from the other side of the world.

“I think that providing funds is the one thing that will get people out of the rubble,” Dumanli said. “There are ways that they [people] can help.”