Turkey, Syria deadly earthquakes: "Tectonic activity does not respect borders or frontiers" Countries have rushed to dispatch aid, personnel and equipment to help rescue efforts in quake-stricken areas of Turkey and Syria. But more than a decade of conflict and years of economic sanctions have devastated Syria's economy and its ability to respond to large-scale disasters. Nearly half a million people have been killed, and the conflict has forced around half of the country's pre-war population from their homes, with many seeking refuge in Turkey. FRANCE 24's International Affairs editor tells us more.