Friday, 27 August 1999: After an exhaustive
four-day assessment of needs in the earthquake-devastated towns of western
Turkey, UNICEF today announced a series of new relief measures aimed at
speeding the recovery of children and families. The UNICEF recovery measures
are based on a special assessment report completed this week, and encompass:
- More than $4 million for clean water and sanitation projects, including
rapid delivery of thousands of showers, water tanks, latrines, and water
purification tablets. This aid will serve as an interim step while permanent
services are being restored;
- A major initiative to address the profound psychological impact of the
quake on children, including counseling programs in schools, training for
parents and teachers, and "child-friendly spaces" in the temporary
encampments that have become home for thousands;
- And a series of health initiatives that will focus on rehabilitating
community health centres and the acquisition of very specific medicines and
vaccines.
All these measures have been designed by UNICEF with a heavy emphasis on
effective coordination and avoidance of duplication or waste and will be
implemented in consultation with the Government of Turkey and United Nations
sister agencies.
The UNICEF recovery initiative will cost $7.3 million. It is based on the
assessment team's conclusion that some 600,000 people have been left homeless.
A UNICEF-led group of psychologists and social workers found that the
earthquake has had a profound impact on children, reporting that psychological
problems are expected to increase as the immediate crisis eases and the scope
of the challenges ahead sinks in. The report found that many parents -- the
first people to whom traumatized children turn -- are suffering a high degree
of disorientation and confusion themselves.
The UNICEF recovery initiative will address these issues through:
- A vast training project to prepare teachers for the issues they may
encounter and how best to identify and address them on a child-by-child basis.
The training will begin with top Turkish experts preparing a primary group of
special trainers, who will in turn provide training sessions at the community
and school level.
- The establishment of Child-Friendly Spaces, a concept developed during the
Kosovo crisis. UNICEF will locate facilities and identify personnel for these
invaluable spaces, where children in the hardest-hit communities will have the
opportunity to recover their sense of security in a positive and supportive
environment. Counseling for adults will also be available at these sites.
- Counseling and support for weary disaster workers and hospital staff, as
well as a national communication campaign that will offer basic tips on coping
with stress.
The UNICEF assessment was conducted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this
week together with national experts and other UN agencies. UNICEF's action plan
has been developed in consultation with Turkish authorities, who have strongly
supported the assessment mission and its associated recovery initiatives.
The team included experts in nutrition, health, water, sanitation, and
psychological and social issues. |
