Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

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AMDA Emergency Relief #03: Earthquakes in Türkiye

Publication date:2023-02-19
 
On 15 February, AMDA’s relief team conducted a survey on the extent of the quake damage in KahramanmaraÅŸ, a quake-hit province in southern Türkiye (Turkey). The work was commissioned by the doctors’ association in Adana. (See the previous bulletin for details.)
 
In Elbistan, KahramanmaraÅŸ, whose population is said to be around 170,000, the AMDA team learned that most of the residents were taking refuge in larger cities such as Istanbul and Ankara. Following the assessment, the team moved to Malatya.
 
In Malatya, with a total population of 800,000, its water-management authorities said the death toll was around 1,300 people, with approximately 9,000 people getting injured in the quakes. About half of the whole population had already evacuated to safer areas outside the locality.
 
The team also learned that there were seven locations that were managing aid distribution in Malatya, assuring aid to reach whoever that needed it. The Turkish government, on one hand, was checking the buildings to see if they were properly quake-resistant, and was moving the evacuees into them once the safety was confirmed.
 
Meanwhile, the team learned that two major hospitals in the region were functioning well. “We want to thank Japan for being nice to us for so many years,” the team was told. “We are geographically afar, but let us stay emotionally close.”
 
Next, the team entered Elazığ that was also hit by the big earthquake in 2020. However, no major destruction was seen at this time, as the authorities had implemented strict building regulations and countermeasures based on their 2020 experience.
 
Before moving to the next destination, the team procured relief supplies such as blankets and towels at a local market in Elazığ.
 
For now, the team will carry on with the disaster damage assessment in affected areas.
    •  GPSP Multi-National Medical Mission (Peace Building)
    •  Turkey
    •  2023
    •  GPSP

 
 
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