KATELYN MCCALLION
SENIOR REPORTER

Every time you look at the newspaper there’s a new headline about an earthquake causing serious damage and killing hundreds of people.  It started with Haiti and Chile and now another one in Turkey.  With earthquakes happening so frequently it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know how to help out.

In a Toronto Star article, an expert said the world sees 134 earthquakes a year, most ranging from a magnitude of 6.0 to a 6.9. He stated that we’ve experienced about 40 earthquakes this year and that this number is normal.

The damage caused in both Haiti and Chile is extensive. In a CBC report, it was estimated it will take three years and $14 billion to rebuild in Chile. Haiti estimates similar costs to rebuild. In Haiti, 250,000 people either died or are still missing.

The countries hit the hardest are all located in earthquake zones or on fault lines. The buildings in Chile were constructed to withstand earthquakes yet Chile’s main highway was reduced to rubble by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake three weeks ago.

In Turkey, the death toll has raised to 57 people, most of these deaths occurring in the village of Basyurt. To add to the devastation, the country experience 100 aftershocks – some measuring as much as 5.5 in magnitude.

With the amount of disaster coverage in the news, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and desensitized to the devastation faced by the people of Haiti, Chile and Turkey. It is important we don’t let this happen. There are still fundraising events, such as concerts and raffles, held at Humber to help raise money for Haiti. Students can help on a larger scale and by donating to a reliable and more prominent organization like the Canadian Red Cross.

No matter how much money the country has, the amount of destruction or how high the death toll has risen, these natural disasters destroy lives and it’s up to us to help stricken nations rebuild.