The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the possibility of a “secondary disaster” in the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on the 8th (local time). The purpose is to pay special attention not only to lifesaving within the 72-hour golden time, but also to follow-up support for survivors.
According to AFP, WHO Earthquake Response Officer Robert Holden held a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on the same day and said that the focus is on saving lives, but “the highest priority is to ensure that those who survived the initial disaster can continue to survive.”
“We have many survivors out in the open, uncovered, under terrible conditions without access to water, fuel, electricity and communications,” Holden said. ) If we do not move, there is a risk of a ‘secondary disaster’ in which more people are injured than in the initial disaster.”
Furthermore, WHO was concerned about a ‘health crisis’ in the aftermath of the earthquake. In particular, Syria, devastated by civil war, is exposed to risks such as cholera, diarrheal disease, respiratory disease, leishmaniasis, physical disability, and secondary injury or infection.
Adelheid Marschang, senior emergency manager at WHO, said in the aftermath of the quake there were “clear concerns” that the underlying health risks would be exacerbated.
“Syria’s (medical) capacity has already suffered a major blow from the civil war,” said Marschang.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the situation was complicated by outbreaks of measles and cholera in Syria. According to the WHO, since August last year, the number of cholera cases in Syria has reached about 85,000.
“As weather conditions and aftershocks continue, we are ‘race against time’ to save lives,” said Ghebreyesus. is needed,” he said.
Michael Ryan, head of the WHO emergency response team, emphasized the need for mental health support for the treatment of trauma (mental trauma) caused by the earthquake disaster. “The psychological stress that communities (affected by the earthquake) have experienced in the past 60 hours will reverberate over the next 60 years,” he said. “This is a big problem.”
Meanwhile, according to President Ghebreyesus, 77 national and 12 international emergency medical teams have been deployed to the earthquake-affected area.
One WHO medical support plane is en route from Dubai, UAE, the base for WHO medical supplies, to Turkey, Istanbul. Another plane is preparing to take off to Damascus, the Syrian capital, and another plane bound for Syria is said to be on standby.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.