Message from the International Relief
Office
Greetings brethren,
As most of you know by now there has been a terrible earthquake in Turkey in the early hours of the morning of Tuesday, August 17.
PRESENT SITUATION
The epicenter was in the town of Izmit near Turkeys largest city of Istanbul, which alone has a population of 15 million people (one-third of Turkey's total population, according to news reports).
At least 10,000 people are confirmed dead, and this figure could go as high as 40,000. At least 45,000 people are injured, and perhaps as many as 35,000 are still buried under the rubble. Damage estimates currently stand at $25 billion. Morgues are so full that bodies are now being stored in refrigerated meat trucks.
Diseases such as typhoid and chollera are inevitable under conditions such as this.
The authorities are completely overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction. Rescue operations are being hampered by collapsed infrastructure. There continue to be hundreds of aftershocks every day. A state of emergency has been called in the 7 worse hit Provinces.
News reports on Friday, August 20 reported that a mood of desperation has set in with the people. Hundreds of thousands of them are camping out because of the fear that buildings are unsafe, especially with the high number of aftershocks.
FHI's RESPONSE
As always, Food for the Hungry International (FHI) seeks to strengthen the local economy. To accomplish this goal, we work through local organizations as much as possible. Therefore, our initial strategy, will be to assist efforts underway through our partners who are already established in Turkey.
We will be providing assistance through churches who are amongst the effected population themselves. Our priorities are as follows:
- The main priority at the moment is to continue to do search and rescue for survivors buried under collapsed buildings.
- The second priority is to provide medical assistance to the tens of thousand's of injured.
- The third priority is to provide food and water to the survivors.
- The fourth priority is to provide temporary accommodation to the hundreds of thousands of people made homeless by this powerful earthquake.
- After this, rehabilitation and reconstruction needs to take place.
- FHI is currently using funds from our Rapid Response Fund. We will need to reflenish this fund through donations so that we can react quickly to future disasters. (You can donate now via our secure server.)
We are looking at the possibility of sending medical supplies. Funds will need to be raised to ship these supplies. (You can donate to our shipping fund now via our secure server.)
I will provide further details as the situation developes, hopefully daily.
Shaun Walsh
Vice President of International Relief
Food for the Hungry International
