Earthquakes in Tuyrkey and Syria

[exile]

That's OK @Blaze. They who never made a mistake never made anything.

On the subject of flying relief goods in, I have read this morning that Gaziantep, Hatay and Adana airports are all closed. It is possible that Adana is closed to allow relief efforts to be delivered but the other 2 were right on the fault line and most probably have been unable to open due to damage.

[exile]

I personally think the UK needs to redirect its foreign aid budget into preparedness for the next disaster, of whatever magnitude and location - into food, tents, blankets, water purification etc on pallets ready to go at a moment's notice.

Maybe also hang onto the C-130s once retired?

Having done a bit more delving, it appears that in the uk, the government has delegated the activities to the Disasters Emergency Committee. The Committee is made up of 15 charities in the humanitarian sphere. The government gives donations as and when it sees fit against specific emergencies.

While this might seem an abrogation of the government responsibilities, it does at least mean that experts are handling what should be sent where rather than some civil servant doing that as part of his/her responsibilities.

I gather with regard to the current crisis, material aid is being sent to Istanbul, where it is then handed over to the Red Crescent - again putting those with the required local and specific knowledge at the forefront.


Does anyone @Blaze perhaps know how such aid is handled in France?

[Blaze]

Organising aid is complicated in many ways and getting to the disaster areas particularly difficult because of damage to airports and roads. Syria with its in-fighting and war damage has made access almost impossible.

France sent members of the Securité Civile, sapeurs-pompiers, dog teams almost immediately. Medical aid in the form of field hospitals, medical personnel, medical supplies will follow, if it hasn't already been sent.

There are many organisations in France who are handling aid to the stricken areas, including Medecins sans Frontières, la Croix Rouge, l’ESCRIM (Elément de sécurité civile rapide d’intervention médicale), drug companies .... I don't know how this is being co-ordinated or if these organisations act independently. The government has also pledged financial aid for food.

There have been appeals not to send clothes or food individually, ie not part of a formal organisation as the vehicles apparently block the roads and prevent the bigger rescue services being able to get through. I've seen photos of mountains of clothes, bottles of water etc spilling over as they haven't been able to get through.
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossi ... e-09-02-23

[niemeyjt]

This is why I say we need to be proactive rather than reactive. It is always reactive, albeit learning from previous events.

Keep the C-130s - they can deliver over 30 tons over 1000 miles distance - no need for a local runway.

Keep tents, food etc ready palleted and ready to drop. But as I say this needs proactive spend before the event - which is why I say use the foreign aid budget for this humanitarian use rather than sending it to countries with their own space programs and nukes.

[exile]

But why do you think this doesn't happen already?

I am sure the Red Cross and other organisations have a massive store of tents*, blankets, water purification goods (some of which would not take kindly to being dropped off the back of a C 130) etc..

* many located near possible sites of need, not just in a warehouse in W London or Geneva.

Last night it was reported that there were already 140,000 aid agency tents in the area, so these did not suddenly magic out of the sweatshops of China, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

If there is a criticism, it is that the UK government has so far funded just £5m. Hopefully there will be more coming since the survivors are going to need substantial support for many months.

[Blaze]

Austria suspended its military aid in Turkey for security reasons then resumed. 2 German aid organisation have also paused citing security problems and reports of clashes between groups of people and gunfire.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/au ... 023-02-11/

In Syria the situation is worse with the disaster-hit areas held by rebels who are making it difficult and risky for aid workers to get there.

[exile]

It is a very touchy region with (as I suggested in an earlier post) a lot of Kurdish people living along the border region. They are not all anti-Turk and anti-authority and certainly not all ready to take up arms but unfortunately some are.