Aid and search and rescue organizations in Turkey, which have significant experience with their work in different parts of the world, mobilized for Libya, which suffered a major disaster with the flood caused by Storm Daniel.
Storm Daniel, which was effective in the Central Mediterranean, caused disaster in many settlements in Libya, especially in Derna, on September 10.
Teams from countries including Turkey, Russia, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates continue their search and rescue efforts for the disaster, which affected a wide area.
Under the Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) organization, the Turkish Red Crescent and various non-governmental organizations are working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of disaster victims.
AFAD Vice President Hamza Taşdelen, who coordinated the work, told the AA correspondent that the Turkish team was the first team from abroad to come to the city of Derne, which was most affected by the flood in Libya, and therefore they also coordinated the teams of other countries.
"THERE ARE AROUND 20 THOUSAND LOSSES IN THE REGION"
Ömer Ünal, field coordinator of the IHH search and rescue team, said that they arrived at the area on the second day of the disaster and that they were greatly surprised when they first arrived at the area.
Stating that they participated in search and rescue activities in many flood disasters, but the disaster that occurred in this region was very different from others, Ünal said, "It almost reminded us of Kahramanmaraş and Hatay. Because the buildings have turned into rubble and it is effective in a wide area. While search and rescue was carried out in a certain basin in the flood disasters we experienced before, here it is carried out in an entire city. It reminds us of an earthquake. But it is riskier than an earthquake because the probability of finding a living creature in a flood is almost zero. So far, our team has found the dead bodies of 25 people in the region. Our estimate is that the casualty rate in the region is around 15-20 thousand. I talked to a child in a house yesterday. I asked, 'Has your family been evacuated?' We were truly impressed by the response we received. He said, 'Brother, 14 members of my family disappeared, I was the only one left alive.' "So if we calculate the losses in the buildings in this way, there are actually around 20 thousand losses in the region.""
Mert Olur, field coordinator of Kevser Education Foundation, explained that they came to the region within the framework of the coordination of the Turkish Red Crescent and AFAD and brought the humanitarian aid requested from them.
"In the first stage, we brought food to the soup kitchen opened by the Red Crescent and enabled it to start operating. Hopefully we plan to continue it. This place has just experienced a disaster that is perhaps rare in world history. That's why everyone who works here works devotedly. We are in a truly troubled area," Olur said.
According to AFAD data, public institutions and non-governmental organizations working in the region are as follows:
"AFAD, AKUT, ANDA, Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department, Cansuyu Association, Çare Association, Deniz Feneri, Fetih, HAK Search and Rescue, HAY-DER, IHH, İLKSEN-OL, İDDEF, İBAK, JAK, Kurt-Ar, Kevser Education Foundation, Red Crescent, MAG-AME, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department, NAK, Coast Guard Command, Sadakataşı, PAK, UMKE, TAMGA, International Ravza Association, Doctors Worldwide."