Pınar Sabancı is a psychologist who has been actively involved in the physical and psychological recuperation of the survivors.
I visited some of the tent cities with UCIM (an association that works to protect children from abuse and neglect) in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş to see what needs to be done for the earthquake survivors. I also went to some hospitals and KYK’s (High Education and Credit Housing) in Ankara to visit and give support to the survivors. We started discussing long-term plans with some NGOs. A lot of help got lost in the first weeks due to lack of proper coordination. We are now focusing on providing the right kind of help to the right places.
First comes the provision of adequate housing, food, education and job opportunities. Research on past earthquakes shows that timely material aid to survivors with severe losses is critical for better recovery outcomes. As everyone’s basic needs are being met, urgent and long-term psychosocial support is vital. There will be long lasting mental scars. Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are likely to follow such catastrophic events. Making recovery plans based on volunteering is not realistic, as that is almost never sustainable in the long term. Budget must be allocated for large-scale psychosocial support.
It is important to know how to talk and interact with earthquake survivors; the Psychiatric Association of Turkey (PAT) website [https://psikiyatri.org.tr/eng/] is a great place to start learning. In terms of financial help, we have all seen how important it is to donate to trustable foundations. For example, TEV helps those in need of financial aid for education. Füsun Sayek Association for the Development of Health and Education [https://www.fusunsayek.org/] is doing great work in the area. UCIM has also delivered a lot of material goods to the tent cities. Personally, we can start ordering from local producers to support the businesses affected by the earthquake.
Published April 2023
