ReliefWeb

The original appeal launched on 2 May 2003 for CHF 2,384,000 (USD 1,770,079 or EUR 1,579,296) for six months for 36,000 beneficiaries. In July 2003 , the original budget was reduced to CHF 1,418,000 (see the operations update no 3)
Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: N/A

Period covered: 15 July - 17 December 2003

The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 180 countries. For more information: www.ifrc.org

In Brief

Contributions: For the latest list, please click on the web link below for details: http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?03/1-2-3%20-%20ap0903.pdf

Related Emergency or Annual Appeals: Turkey Annual Appeal (01.80/03)

Operational Summary: After the emergency intervention in the aftermath of the earthquake in the Bingol area of south-eastern Turkey was completed, the Federation has shifted its focus on strengthen ing the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay as it is known in Turkish) disaster management capacity to ensure effective response during future emergencies .

Within this effort, procurement of materials for the production of tents is ongoing. Given the proneness of the region to earthquakes, it is also planned to establish a disaster management centre in one of the Kizilay branches in Bingol, its neighboring Diyarbakir or Elazig based on analysis of branch capacities and its strategic location.

As an integral part of the disaster management capacity building, efforts continue to integrate psycho-social support into Kizilay branch development. Preparations are underway to establish groups of psycho-social support trainers and volunteers to help people cope with their emotional, psychological and behavioural needs in the wake of a disaster.

To accommodate the projected activities and make the best use of available resources, the Federation together with the Turkish Red Crescent revised its plan of action set in the emergency appeal. The operation has been extended for another three months and will close now on 31 March 2004.

Consultations with partners resulted in reallocation of CHF 340,000 from other emergency operations. There are additional contributions confirmed in the pipe line, which will enable the implementation of all planned activities.

Reflecting these changes, the operational budget was reduced to CHF 1,092,550 (see the last page of the report).

This update reports on activities carried out since 15 July 2003 in the context of the emergency appeal and a revised operational budget.

Operational developments

Over 170 people, many of them schoolchildren trapped in their dormitory, died in the earthquake in the Bingol area of southeastern Turkey. The effect of the earthquake, which took place on 1 May 2003 at 3:20 am with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale, was relatively isolated. Almost all dead and missing were discovered within three days. According to the official statistics 521 people were injured¹. The worst single tragedy was the collapse of a primary boarding school, killing 85 children and one teacher. 115 children were rescued. The earthquake caused damage and injuries in Bingol and in surrounding towns and villages, including Celtiksuyu, Sancak and Cimenli, Goltepsi.

Turkish Red Crescent was rapid and efficient in its response to the earthquake in Bingol rushing relief materials there, including: tents and blankets, five tonnes of food, nine mobile kitchens (to serve 20,000 people a day), a field hospital with 50 beds and a mobile clinic, four ambulances and five generators. A team of 25 volunteers from Mus and Erzincan Branches was immediately deployed to the earthquake area to carry out search and rescue operations. Shortly after the earthquake, Turkish Red Crescent volunteers were on the disaster site providing water and food to the victims. Some 2,000 people were assisted and 1,000 food parcels were distributed on the first day.

The Turkish Red Crescent distributed over 14,000 tents and more than 18,000 blankets to people affected by the disaster.The affected families were also provided with 700 hygiene and 400 baby food parcels from the Turkish Red Crescent emergency stocks. The National Society distributed over 3,000 pieces of clothing to families in need.

In tandem with the emergency relief, the Turkish Red Crescent provided psychological support to victims of the earthquake to help people cope with their emotional, psychological and behavioural needs. 5,542 adults, children and rescue workers were reached so that they could then get back to their daily routine and rebuild their lives. The focus was on encouraging community participation to promote self-reliance. Over 4,000 brochures were distributed to the earthquake affected population to help them cope with the trauma and stress caused by the disaster.

Relief activities in outlying villages as well as in the town of Bingol itself have ended. Kizilay volunteers and staff deployed for the operation returned to their branches . The focus now is on strengthening disaster management capacity of Turkish Red Crescent branches and the psycho-social support programme as its integral com ponent.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action

Health and care

Objective 1. Provide psychosocial support to effected population.

Progress/Achievements: Following the first intervention (see operations updates no 1, 2 and 3), the next phase of programming is to integrate the psycho-social in Kizilay branch development. This will be achieved by training branch staff in psychosocial methodology, mapping local resources, assessing needs of local communities and education on self-help through information and dissemination. In December 2003, Federation psycho-social delegate made an evaluation trip to Bingol and its surrounding area to set up the action plan. Based on the evaluation result analysis, it was decided to recruit and train in each town in the region a trainer and a group of volunteers to respond to psycho-social needs of the population in the wake of future disasters. The recruitment process and training is planned for January-March 2004.

Objective 2. Provide equipment and medical supplies to the affected area.

Progress/Achievements: The initial plan of action envisioned deployment of an international emergency response unit (ERU) to the disaster affected area. However, as reported in previous operations updates, the assessment conducted later by a consultant from the German Red Cross found this would not be necessary as all the emergency health needs had been covered with nationally available resources. Therefore the funds projected for the ERU in the original appeal are no longer sought. This change was reflected in the revised budget, which was attached to the operations update no 3.

Relief distribution of food and basic non-food items

Objective 1. Provide hot meals to 60,000 persons for one month.

Progress/Achievements: During the emergency phase of the operation, the Turkish Red Crescent Society set up a mobile kitchen in the disaster affected villages to serve two hot meals a day - soup in the morning followed by rice, beans and bread in the afternoon - to all families in need. The service was provided to residents in the centre of Bingol too. On average, 6,000 to 7,000 people were served hot meals each day. Prepared in a mobile kitchen site by 15 cooks, the food was carried to fixed distribution points twice a day.

After meeting the immediate needs of the population straight after the disaster, such as providing sheltering and hot meals, Kizilay continued to assist the people, with the focus on supporting people to help themselves. With that in mind, the hot meal distribution was transformed into dry food distribution, to encourage people to return to their normal routine. Kizilay, focusing on minimising the effects of the earthquake, jointly with the American Red Cross provided dry food packages for 9,000 of the families most affected by the disaster.

Objective 2. Procure mobile kitchen.

Progress/Achievements: Three mobile kitchens were procured locally through tender and handed over to the Turkish Red Crescent. Each kitchen has:

- 4 ovens;

- 1 refrigerator;

- 4 large kettles;

- 1 large coffee/tea machine;

- 1 washbasin;

- 1 thermos;

- 1 water tank;

- 2 fire extinguishers;

- 1 meat machine;

- 1 tube for gas;

- 1 water pump.

The kitchens will allow the Turkish Red Crescent to provide hot meals to affected populations during future disasters. Each kitchen has the capacity to serve 1,500 people per meal.

Shelter

Objective 1. Replenish 5,000 tents and 30,000 blankets.

Progress/Achievements: As explained in the operations update no 3, considering low response to the appeal and the fact that some donors were reluctant to see their contribution used for replenishment, the national society prioritized its needs and adjusted the original plan. The Federation is now assisting the national society to procure canvas for the production of tents² and protection boxes for emergency field equipment. The procurement is being arranged for internationally through the Federation Secretariat in Geneva. The Federation logistics department has sent the specifications to suppliers. Bids are expected to arrive in January 2004.

Disaster Preparedness

Objective 1. Strengthen the disaster management capacity of the Turkish Red Crescent Society.

Progress/Achievements: The focus is on strengthening the disaster management capacity of Turkish Red Crescent branches in Bingol, its neighboring Diyarbakir and Elzag.

These branches have been identified based on the analysis of their capacities and strategic location. This will be achieved through training in different areas -first aid, monitoring, reporting, developing international standards and tools in disaster management.

In addition, the branches will be supplied with communication equipment including satellite telephones, fax machines and computers. The plan of action also envisages the development of a disaster management centre.

Federation delegate will assist the national society in achieving the objective to ensure rapid response and efficient coordination in times of emergencies.

For further information please contact:

- Turkish Red Crescent Society, email: tkd@kizilay.org.tr, phone: 90 312 4302300; fax: 90 312 430 0175

- Carl Naucler, head of regional delegation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Turkey and Southern Caucasus, email: ifrctr06@ifrc.org phone: 90 312 441 42 92 fax: 90 312 441 38 66

- Sylvie Chevalley, regional officer, Europe department, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, email: sylvie.chevalley@ifrc.org phone: 41 22 730 4276; fax: 41 22 733 03 95;

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org

Notes

¹Note: figures from the Crisis Centre at the Governorate of the Province of Bingol.

²The national society tent factory in Ankara has a production capacity of some 600 tents a week.

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