The world in general and Scandinavians specifically have been getting to terms with the mass exodus of Ukrainians fleeing their war torn country. But before the war had even subsided and normalcy resumed comes the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. For close to a year now, the Russia-Ukraine war has been a great thorn in the flesh of NATO. The countries neighboring the two countries embroiled in the conflict haven’t been any easy and so are the people.
Actually Scandinavians have been unsettled by the chaos witnessed around and the earthquake has just worsened the anxiety. Already, so many Ukrainians have sought safe refuge in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The scenes in Eastern Ukraine are gory to say the least.
In the months following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, children just like adults in the Scandinavian region remained apprehensive. Nobody ever seems to get to know what president Putin would do next. But now, a magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 quakes on the Richter scale hit Turkey and Syria. Massive buildings have been flattened with rubble falling all over and causing a casualty of over 36000 lives and still counting.
Scandinavian children worried about possibility of an earthquake in the region
Across Scandinavia, screens have been awash with desperate people scampering for safety in Turkey and others unattended in Syria. For sure nothing can compare with the extent of destruction and despair caused by the earthquake. The situation on site looks so disturbing and helpless. But even miles away in Scandinavia, things ain’t any better. Everyone especially school kids can’t just sit pretty-they are unsettled and fear for their own safety.
Just after the massive earthquakes hit Turkey the images of devastation showing buildings brought down to the ground graced our screens. Seeing these pictures scared children in Scandinavia which prompted them to ask so many questions. If you live in any of the Scandinavian countries and your kids haven’t yet asked about their safety from a possible earthquake, maybe it’s time to introduce the topic. The children have seen the devastation, their fellow children sitting out desperately and buildings continue to fall from aftershocks. So your own kids
Since the end of the second world war, Scandinavia has experienced relative calm and any simple tension is a likely recipe for profound anxiety. Of course school children in Scandinavia learn about natural disasters. But even with such lessons, such things only become tolerable when learned theoretically but not seen in actual cases.
Children would ask innocent questions like “Turkey is just closer to us and it has been flattened by the earthquake, are we next?” In fact the apprehension about the quake among children in Scandinavia has been made worse by hopeless images of children sleeping outside in chilly weather just hoping to get help.
Help the victims of earthquake in Syria and Turkey
The heavy quakes that flattened Syria and Turkey have provided humanity with yet another opportunity to stand with the victims. While in Scandinavia we remain anxious and extremely nervous about what would happen next after such a massive earthquake hitting closer home, we can send help to the affected.
Talk to your children about such natural disasters and always prepare them for any eventuality. The reality is that no early warning systems could adequately alert the Turks and Syrians of an impending deadly earthquake-it just hit and hard it did.
