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17 August 2001 by Arzu Ozsoy, in Izmit The wounds inflicted by the violent earthquake which shook the Marmara region of Turkey on August 17, 1999 have not fully healed yet. According to official figures, the quake killed 16,986 people and injured 23,781. Some 40,000 people who spent 12 months in tent cities in Yalova, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Bolu and Duzce are still living in prefabricated settlements. The hardest-hit city was Izmit (Kocaeli), where nearly 9,500 people died. On November 12, 1999, a second violent tremor shook Duzce, leaving more than 1,000 people dead, and 3,800 injured. The Turkish government, with support from the World Bank and other organizations, built permanent housing for 95 percent of the quake survivors. However, less than 25 percent of them have moved into their new houses because they are often located in new communities where survivors are separated from friends or relatives and have difficulty forging a new social fabric in a new location. The wounds need to be healed not only physically but also psychologically as Turkey remains an extremely disaster-prone country, vulnerable to earthquakes in particular. In response to the need of earthquake survivors for special help in putting their lives back together and overcoming the trauma caused by this devastating earthquake, the Federation has set up an important psycho-social support programme. The programme includes the establishment of four centres - three of them (Izmit, Avcilar and Duzce) are operational. A fourth one will soon be set up in Adapazari. The Federation is also supporting the Turkish Red Crescent in setting up an important disaster preparedness programme. It includes the training of TRCS staff and volunteers in disaster response, logistics and telecommunications, among other subjects, as well as restocking warehouses with shelter and relief goods and a public education campaign on what to do if an earthquake strikes. On August 13, heavy rain marred the second commemoration of the Marmara earthquake in Izmit. The torrents of water caused extensive loss of property but, thankfully, no injuries or deaths. But the rain did not deter hundreds of quake survivors from participating in the commemoration ceremonies. There were no tears on their faces but only the ever-present fear of another disaster. Dr. Ertan Gönen, President of the Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS), said in his speech: "No loss can be compared to psychological trauma." After acknowledging that the Federation responded quickly to the need for psycho-social support to quake victims, he thanked all those involved in this essential service. "We also have many volunteers to help others solve their problems. I strongly hope that those who were helped today will be our volunteers in future." One of the volunteers who spoke echoed the sentiments of Dr. Gönen: "At the Hare psycho-social centre, we experience the comfort of helping others. It's just like in the phrase: those who help others actually help themselves." She finished her speech by referring to those participating in the commemoration: "What can be better than seeing the happy smiles of our guests and hearing their cheerful comments?" Part of the commemoration included a groundbreaking ceremony for Cubuklu Primary School, near Izmit. The children giggled as they received school kits from the Turkish Red Crescent. In his speech during the commemoration, Carl Naucler, the Federation's head of delegation in Turkey, noted that: "The community can benefit from different kinds of services in the psycho-social centres. One of these is the individual counselling available, which can help people gain awareness about their problems and gain the skills to use their inner resources to cope with them." The youngest speaker was 12-year-old Erkan Cengiz, a child who had been trapped under the rubble. He is now confident and in good spirits since he has been attending the painting course at the Hare Centre. He thanked partners in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, and added: I don't feel those bad feelings I had after the earthquake anymore. All those bad feelings flew away. I even think that if a huge earthquake would happen again, I wouldn't be afraid that much anymore. It's as if I have a guardian angel." Turkey has learned many lessons from the violent earthquake on August 17, 1999 and the country is now focusing on trying to be prepared rather than wishing on an angel. Related links More news and report from Turkey Volunteering Make a donation |
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nsert The youngest
speaker at the commemoration ceremony was 12-year-old Erkan
Cengiz, a child who had been trapped under the rubble. He is
now confident and in good spirits. 
