Earthquake in Turkey: Médecins Sans Frontières extends its activities and provides mental healthcare to the affected population

In the aftermath of the strong earthquakes that struck eastern Turkey on October 23rd and November 9th, Médecins Sans Frontières teams - in collaboration with local organisations - have distributed 2,000 winterised tents and 2,000 cooking kits to 12,000 people living in Van and Ercis (the cities most affected by the quake). At the end of November 2011 Médecins Sans Frontières extended its activities in the region through the provision of mental health care to the affected population. © Knut Maehlumshagen

Van and Barcelona, 28 November 2011. In the aftermath of the strong earthquakes that struck eastern Turkey on 23 October and 9 November, Médecins Sans Frontières is extending its activities in the region through the provision of mental healthcare. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Turkey and the Van Crisis Coordination Centre, Médecins Sans Frontières teams will start addressing urgent needs for mental health support in Van.

“Many people are still in shock after the terrible experience of the quakes. Many of them have lost family members and friends, and some have no one left. Their houses have collapsed, they have lost all their belongings and they have to deal with a harsh new reality and extremely cold weather conditions, which will take months to improve”, explains Patrick Wieland, Médecins Sans Frontières head of mission. “Every day we see that there is a clear need to address the psychological consequences of this earthquake, which has taken a significant toll on the local population.”

A team of five psychologists and three psycho-educators will start working in the villages around Van, carrying out group and individual counselling sessions for both adults and children. Médecins Sans Frontières will also offer psychological care to refugees and asylum seekers that have been affected by the earthquake and are living in camps and settlements in Van. At Van district hospital, the team will establish a mental health emergency preparedness plan so that the hospital will be better equipped to deal with a future incident involving mass casualties.

A Médecins Sans Frontières emergency team arrived at the earthquake-affected areas of Van and Ercis on 25 October. Since then, in collaboration with two Turkish organisations, Hayata Destek, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (hCa), and other local partners and authorities, MSF has distributed 2,000 tents suitable for winter conditions and 2,000 cooking kits to 12,000 people in 37 villages in Van region.

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international medical humanitarian organisation that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 60 countries. In Turkey, Médecins Sans Frontières also supports a mental healthcare project for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Istanbul in collaboration with Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (hCa).