Tuesday 15 November 2011
Turkey displaced terrified of further aftershocks
Photograph by Ian Neal
The second earthquake that struck southeast Turkey on 9 November has left many of the tens of thousands of displaced people terrified to enter their homes again, fearing they might collapse.
ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Ian Neal is in Van, the city that experienced the most damage, and says people are facing a huge psychological need as they are frightened of returning to buildings following the 5.6 magnitude aftershock.
‘After the first earthquake on the 23 October people were assured that it would be safe to return to their homes,’ he said. ‘But then the second quake struck and now people are scared and suffering from severe psychological issues.’
SRT members are working hard to provide shelter as quickly as possible as the homeless people’s plight has been worsened by freezing conditions after the first heavy snowfall of winter, with more cold weather expected over the next three months.
Photograph by Ian Neal
Extreme conditions
However, ShelterBox tents are designed to withstand extreme conditions with a purposely-designed thermal layer added between the inner and outer sheets for extra insulation. ShelterBox has also provided stoves, groundsheets, blankets, warm clothing and solar lights for further warmth and comfort.
Mark Pearson, an SRT member in Turkey, said: ‘They slept in the tents last night and they loved it because they are so warm. The third layer is the key.’
‘As for the team, we are doing well,’ says Ian. ‘We’ve had a good day today. We have made some excellent groundwork on the distribution front. We now have some great community level distribution happening in the area.’
Boxes are currently being distributed in the centre of Van where the need is at its most and more have been distributed to surrounding villages.
