Natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria highlight the fragility of human life

Natural disasters remind us of how precious and fragile our existence is. Forces beyond our control unleashed the terrible destruction in Turkey, Syria and other countries. The tragedy of thousands of people being taken with them has impacted the...

Natural disasters remind us of how precious and fragile our existence is. Forces beyond our control unleashed the terrible destruction in Turkey, Syria. The tragedy of thousands of people being killed in a matter of seconds has impacted the entire world.

There were nine of them at home. Two of my sons are still in the rubble. I'm waiting for them," said a mother who broke her arm at Diyarbakir, south-eastern Turkey.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president, stated that "Everyone is putting in their heart and soul into helping others even though the winter season and cold weather and the earthquake occurring during the night make things more difficult." It is too early to know what the final toll will be with 2,818 buildings having collapsed. However, the World Health Organisation claims it will be significantly greater. Hundreds more have been killed in Syria, a country that has been ravaged by civil war for more than 11 years. The scenes of unfathomable pain and suffering have sparked compassion around the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin requested that Mr Erdogan "convey words to sincere sympathy and support" the families of the victims in a message sent from Moscow. He also stated that Russia was ready to assist as needed. He wrote on the Kremlin website: "My deep condolences for the many deaths and massive destruction caused in your country by a strong earthquake." Like the rest of us Putin can find it within him to feel empathy for those whose lives are disrupted by random shifting of tectonic plate. He might not be complicit in inflicting a complete man-made disaster on the Ukrainian citizens by waging war against them.

It must be terrifying to be trapped under the rubble of an building, gasping for air. It is chilling to think that such conditions could be intentionally created by bombing cities. Antonio Guterres, chief of the United Nations, has warned nations that he fears that the Russian-Ukraine conflict will escalate further and that the world is headed towards a "wider War".After Turkey's international appeal for assistance, world leaders have pledged to send humanitarian aid. While natural disasters are unavoidable, they can be the focus of national attention and headlines in the short-term. However, the long-term building and recovery work will be much more important.

Sometimes, calamity can open doors to understanding. Nations and their leaders rally to support the people of Turkey, Syria. However, it is unlikely that Moscow will not also pause to think about the fact that the threads that hold our together are fragile enough to be deliberately shredded.