WHATEVER IT TAKES AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE ...

Emergency relief for millions of people

Everyone has seen the horrific images after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria in early February. More than 50,000 people lost their lives and more than 11,000 buildings collapsed. About 23 million people were affected by this catastrophe, the deadliest in Turkey's history. These are hallucinatory figures, behind which an unimaginable amount of suffering lies hidden. How did the Netherlands Red Cross help?

The first priority after the earthquake was to search and rescue as many as people as possible buried under the rubble. In addition, millions of people have lost everything, so they also needed help right away. The Red Cross immediately opened Giro7244 to help the victims. Shortly afterwards, Giro555 was announced, and the Netherlands Red Cross switched to that number. More than 20 million hot meals and 15 million bottles of water have now been distributed.

All gone

Bastiaan van Blokland, spokesperson for the Netherlands Red Cross, visited Turkey (Antakya, south of the country) a few weeks later. “It is surreal to see a city completely in ruins. In this region there were many places of archaeological and cultural value, but it’s all gone. All buildings have been cordoned off because they are unsafe. On the way I saw many tent camps of people who no longer dared to sleep in their homes. The closer I got to the most affected region, the bigger the tent camps became and the greater the destruction.”

He knew from reporters who were present in the days after the disaster that the situation was extremely chaotic. “There was a lot of panic, sadness, fear and pain. Fortunately, people were also pulled alive from the rubble. Now it is a construction site full of excavators and trucks, with soldiers keeping things in order and aid organisations doing what they can. Despite the very sad situation, I find it special to see people still able to laugh when you talk to them.”
 

Living in tents

Many buildings that survived are likely to be taken down because they are no longer safe. “People who don't have the means to move elsewhere will most probably continue to live in tents for a long time. A dreadful thought. This disaster was of course headlined a lot, but now you don't read much about it anymore. These people’s lives are marked for decades to come. Not everyone realises the impact of it all.”

Survival mechanism 

“While taking pictures, a man came up to me. He told me I better at talking to people than capturing them. He had pulled a female relative out from under the rubble with his bare hands. She is now being hospitalised in Istanbul. Other relatives, including his brothers, didn’t make it. “I am alive,” he said to me, “but inside I’m dead'.”
Bastiaan spoke to more people who were in shock after the disaster. “Sometimes it's hard to believe what they say, because they sound laconic. These people are seriously traumatised, but they don't have time to give up. They have nothing left and yet they have to go on.”

Psychological help 

In addition to the emergency aid that is provided for the basic necessities of life, there is also increasing attention for coping with the disaster. “For example, I visited a tent for kids where they can play or draw together. It is a safe place for them, away from misery. The counsellors in that tent are trained to discuss certain things with kids. Those are not therapeutic sessions, they just let the kids draw and then talk about what's on the paper. This way you find out how they struggle and how you might be able to help.”
The Red Cross dedicating more attention to the psychological aspect of it all is a great thing, according to Bastiaan. “The same is happening in Ukraine, for example, where war is causing a lot of psychological distress. Red Cross is doing a very good job.”