IsraAid dispatches team to Turkey following deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake
Rescue workers and volunteers search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building, in Sanliurfa, Turkey, on Feb. 6, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s southeast. Photo by Remi Banet/AFP via Getty Images
By Adam Kovac February 6, 2023
A team of IsraAid relief workers has been dispatched to Turkey following the powerful earthquake that left at least 3,800 people dead on Monday.
The non-governmental organization, which is dedicated to providing relief in areas affected by humanitarian crises, will send “seven or eight people,” said CEO Yotam Polizer, with the first focus being bringing in relief supplies and assessing the needs for water and sanitation. Among the team are specialists to help those on the ground with water access and medical logistics.
“People who lost their homes, people who don’t have access to clean water, we will use water filtration systems to make sure they all have access to clean water,” said Polizer. “We’ll also look at the hygiene and sanitation needs because again, those people don’t have access to the most basic needs such as toilets, etc.”
“What we know right now is that the main urgent needs are winter supplies because it’s freezing cold, and people lost their homes,” he added. “It’s not rocket science. So we will focus a lot on winter supplies, whether it’s tents, sleeping bags, blankets, coats, hats.”
A member of the IsraAid team is also trained to help people going through trauma.
“Providing psychological first aid from the first moment after a trauma is crucial to help people stabilize,” said Polizer.
Due to the chaos that follows a natural disaster, it’s unclear exactly what equipment will be required, but said the hope is that as the picture becomes clearer, they will procure supplies locally in order to help the economy of the affected area.
The earthquake, which measured at 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck early in the morning. While the most severe damage occurred in Turkey and Syria, it was felt in neighboring countries, including Israel.
The Israeli government has already committed to sending supplies and search-and-rescue teams to help in relief efforts.
Polizer noted that IsraAid currently has teams in 14 other countries, including Ukraine and South Sudan. While the average length of an IsraAid mission is five years, he said it’s too soon to tell how long they will be on the ground in Turkey but that “the recovery will take a long time because of the level of devastation.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
