From March 21st to May 6th, the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) sent a team of volunteer humanitarian workers to Turkey, made up of Martin, Imer, Flora, Francisco, Ricardo Baumgartner, Aajhmaná, Maria Izrael and Alejando, who joined efforts with local organizations assisting victims of the earthquake in February.
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), it is estimated that around 1.5 million people are homeless. More than 160,000 buildings, which in all contained 520,000 apartments, collapsed or were severely damaged in the earthquakes that hit 11 provinces in the country.
Most of those affected are living in tents or containers organized in camps spread across the region. The humanitarian response is still in the emergency phase, which focuses on mitigating the losses experienced by thousands of people.
According to the humanitarian workers, “The state of alert remains perceptible, due to the possibility of new earthquakes that could aggravate the current situation.”
The country’s government is responding to the diverse needs of the population through the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) and carries out the distribution of drinking water, food, personal hygiene kits, personal clothing and bedding, tents and containers.
“We walked through several places and we could see entire cities completely destroyed and practically going to the ground to be rebuilt later. On the one hand, we see total destruction, but, on the other hand, we see a very intense, solidary movement,” points out Ricardo Baumgartner.
Diagnosis
The Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) team traveled from Ankara, the capital of Turkey, to the southern area of Hatay province, one of the most affected, on a trip to recognize and diagnose the local situation.
On this itinerary, the team met residents and local institutional representatives and was able to verify the enormous losses in the city of Antioquia and other small towns, close to the border with Syria.
Based on the assessments and dialogues, the team was prepared to support and provide assistance in what the representatives of the visited communities indicated as a priority.
“As is customary at the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), we always seek to join efforts with other organizations that are already operating, so that we can better understand the context and join these organizations and, in this way, be able to reach the people who most need it,” explains the humanitarian server Aajhmaná.
Preparatory exercises
Team training and the practice of preventive exercises with the community are of paramount importance to reduce risks and prevent losses. People must know what to do in an emergency situation.
In the sessions developed by the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) team, preventive actions related to catastrophic situations were carried out, such as accident prevention, posture and protective attitudes, evacuation drills, workshops on the usefulness of different knots in emergency situations and other information relevant to the context.
“Previous experiences, specific training and work in the field are part of the collection of the team deployed to respond in the recovery phase after the disaster,” highlights Imer.
Humanitarian Logistics
In situations of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, seaquakes or terrorist attacks and more complex humanitarian emergencies, Humanitarian Logistics is essential for supplies to reach their destination correctly and in a timely manner.
Within the assistance chain, Humanitarian Logistics has to implement the response promptly and serve the greatest number of people, avoid shortages and waste, organize the various donations that are received and, above all, act within budgetary limits.
“Humanitarian Logistics makes it possible to manage the material needs that arise in humanitarian crises, emergencies and catastrophes, so that resources are well used and reach people in an appropriate manner and at the right time, according to the Essential Humanitarian Standard of the Sphere Project,” evaluates Imer.
Within this scope of the humanitarian response in Turkey, the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) team was invited to collaborate in the Hatay Coordination Center, which concentrates AFAD operations, responsible for the response to the earthquake victims.
Thus, the team worked on the organization and structuring of deposits that receive donations of food and nutrition products, kitchen kits, mineral water, bedding, Personal Protection Elements (PPE) and clothes and shoes that arrive from different parts of Turkey and from other countries.
Many trucks arrive daily at these spaces to carry supplies to other cities and distribution centers; some people and families also go there to pick up basic necessities.
Imer evaluates that “the support of the team was decisive for the success of the action, due to the experience acquired in missions developed by the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) in Roraima, on the border of Brazil with Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile, Ethiopia and Greece.”
Education in Emergency Situations
Regrettably, the adversities inherent in natural disasters threaten healthy development and can permanently alter the lives of children and young people, resulting in poor learning outcomes and emotional and cognitive instabilities.
One of the main topics of debate in Turkish society is the future of children and young people affected by the earthquake. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the number of children affected reaches 5 million.
The rights of children and young people are not suspended during an emergency situation and this also includes the right to education. Quality education protects development and supports psychosocial well-being. In times of crisis, education gives children and young people a sense of hope and ensures the physical, psychosocial and cognitive protection that can sustain and save lives.
The humanitarian members of the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), through the Education Intervention Sector in Emergencies and Humanitarian Responses, developed various art-education activities during their visits to some shelters.
Art-Education in shelters
In the two visits made to the Narlica-1 Cardirkenti shelter, which shelters around 1500 people, of which 560 are children, they developed recreational activities with children whose schools were destroyed by the earthquake and visited some families, with whom they were able to carry out an active listening and fraternal dialogue.
Managed by AFAD, this shelter, which is located in the city of Antaquia, has an organized structure, with tents, bathrooms, spaces for children, a large central community tent for multiple uses, concrete streets, security, drinking water, health care, mosque for religious practices and other services.
In the city of Samandag, 25 km from the border with Syria, they supported the actions carried out by a group of volunteer teachers who organized themselves to open an alternative school, enabling the continuity of studies for children and young people who had their schools destroyed by the earthquake.
Helped by the teachers, they developed different rhythm, coordination and movement dynamics, as well as a rope and knot workshop to be applied in emergency situations with children and adolescents.
Ricardo Baumgartner praised the work carried out by this group of teachers who took the initiative to continue teaching children and young people, so that the impact of the earthquake would not affect them psychologically.
Children’s Day
The Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) supported the Füsun Sayek foundation and the local city hall in organizing a celebration party for Children’s Day, celebrated in Turkey on April 23rd.
The event took place in an open space in the city of Arsuz and was attended by local authorities and the participation of many families, who enjoyed the proposed activities with their children.
The Turkey Mission team helped organize the space, which featured a stage for musical performances and tents for recreational activities, in addition to distributing balloons, toys and sweets.
The Mission group carried out various dynamics of integration between children, young people and adults through music, dance and recreational games. At the end of the event, the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) team collaborated with the event organizers in dismantling the structures and harmonizing the space.
Taking care of the animals
In tragedies like the one in Turkey, animals are in a state of extreme vulnerability and also need to be rescued, treated and sent to suitable places. In addition to being a gesture of love, caring for animals has a direct impact on public health and requires measures to control and prevent disease outbreaks.
Amid all the challenges experienced, a group of veterinarians voluntarily organized themselves to open a space to care for domestic animals rescued from collapsed buildings.
This space operates in Park Ataturk, provided by the government of the city of Hatay, and there the team from the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) joined these volunteers, contributing to the ordering of the stock of medicines and supplies, repairing the fence and hydraulic installations, in general cleaning and also taking walks with the dogs.
These veterinarians also lost their homes and clinics and, in some cases, suffered the loss of family members or were buried on the first day, until they were rescued. Even within this scenario, they decided to organize this service space.
“These people suffered a lot, in fact, they lost everything; and even so, they are engaged, available and willing to meet other needs. Even in tents, they set up a space to care for animals affected by the earthquake, injured and hurt. With great happiness – with pain, but with great happiness – they are there every day, collaborating so that more lives are saved, rescued,” comments Aajhmaná, moved with emotion.
Institutional relations
Over the years of its work in response to crises and emergency situations, the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) has developed its activities always based on cooperation, construction and strengthening of links and partnerships between national and international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, with transversal values and objectives.
During the action in Turkey it was no different. The humanitarian workers had a presentation meeting of the Turkey Humanitarian Mission at the Brazilian Embassy and with the head of the Department of Emergencies for Natural Disasters in Ankara, to deepen official information and evaluate joint actions.
The Mission’s management team met with local government representatives from the Province of Hatay and with the head of the Orthodox Christian Church in the region. He also paid a visit to the United Nations representative of the On-Site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC), located in the Hatay stadium, where the actions of humanitarian NGOs and UN agencies are organized and coordinated.
Within the action strategies of the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), joint action with the affected populations is also included, seeking integrated solutions and complementary actions, so that the social and humanitarian response can respond to the unusual pace of emergencies with efficiency, humanity, respect for human rights and duties implicit in social integration.
For this purpose, they had the support of local people who volunteered to present the region, volunteer interpreters and associations serving the population and animals. The group also met with Turkish families and many Syrian families, who, forced to leave their country because of the war, suffered yet another setback caused by the earthquake.
By overcoming the language barrier, the humanitarian servers were able to establish communication with both the Turks and the Syrians.
Also as part of their work, they actively listened to veterinarians and volunteers to alleviate the burden received as a result of the disaster.
Füsun Sayek Foundation
The Füsun Sayek Foundation was created 40 years ago and, despite the destruction of its headquarters by the earthquake, it continues to carry out its activities in an adapted location.
The Foundation works with health, education and development, serving both the community in the city of Arsuz, where it is located, and cities in the region, offering two meals a day, basic food baskets, drinking water and personal hygiene kits.
In a spirit of cooperation and affinity of principles, the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) and the Füsun Sayek Foundation merged in altruistic actions on behalf of those affected.
The humanitarian workers supported the Foundation in various tasks, such as: organizing donation storage deposits, loading donations to the city of Samandäg and assembling 518 kits with books, sweets, toys and clothes for babies and children. They peeled 100 kg of onions to prepare meals distributed free of charge to city residents each day, and helped in the re-location of its temporary operation.
In carrying out these tasks on a daily basis, the team had the opportunity to get to know better this group of people who, despite the profound losses, remain focused on service in solidarity to others. With resilience and determination, they rebuild their lives with examples of fraternity.
A warm farewell
After almost two months of work in Turkey, the team of humanitarian servers carries in their hearts the record of the lessons learned: resilience, solidarity and fraternity.
They served diligently. They contributed where they were asked.
And, in an atmosphere of fraternization with local workers, military personnel from the armed forces and authorities from the Hatay Coordination Center, the Turkey Humanitarian Mission team said goodbye with sincere thanks and it was invited to return to continue the work carried out, which, according to the officials themselves, was of great value for a better management of the humanitarian response in the region.
On its social networks, the Füsun Sayek Foundation says goodbye to the team with these generous words:
“Thank you to all the extraordinary team at the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) for the invaluable help and support you provided to our Association after the devastating earthquake.
On behalf of the Füsun Sayek Association for Health Development and Education, we extend our deep gratitude to each member of your team and everyone who has supported you from behind the scenes. Your kindness, generosity, dedication and hard work touched our hearts, reminding us of the goodness in the world. Thanks again for your exceptional support and for restoring hope to our community in Arsuz.”
The Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) expresses its deep gratitude to all who contributed to the success of the Turkey Mission.
