The Korean Emergency Relief Team (KDRT), which was dispatched to Turkey to help victims of the earthquake, completed its mission and returned to Seoul Airport at 7:00 am on the 18th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the same day, Won Do-yeon, head of the emergency relief team, reported that he had returned from activities such as △rescuing survivors from earthquake damage △recovering bodies △collaborating with relief teams in various countries and with the Turkiyeh Disaster and Crisis Management Agency.
The first camp of the relief team consisted of a total of 118 people, mainly military search and rescue personnel and firefighters.
Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Do-hoon shook hands with all the crew members, thanked them for their dedication at the earthquake-stricken site, and highly praised the excellent performance of their mission in extremely dangerous field conditions.
Nam Hwa-young, acting head of the National Fire Agency, also encouraged the crew members, saying, “Despite the dangerous situation at the site, we did our best to carry out search and rescue operations quickly and effectively.”
Turkish Ambassador to Korea Sali Murat Tamer, who greeted the first group of our relief team at Seoul Airport, expressed his gratitude for the activities of our relief team, saying, “The Turkish people will never forget Korea’s support for the damage caused by this earthquake.”
The Korea Emergency Relief Team (KDRT), which was dispatched to Turkey and returned to Seoul Airport on the 18th, is taking a commemorative photo. (Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)The 1st team of the relief team will receive a health checkup and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) test, and each will return to their duties next week.
Rescue team 1, which has been conducting search and rescue activities in the Antakya area of Hatay Province in southeastern Turkey since the 9th, rescued 8 survivors and recovered 19 bodies.
In the process, about 10 of our relief workers suffered injuries such as abrasions. In addition, one of our four rescue dogs underwent surgery on the spot, and the other three also suffered injuries to their paws from being stabbed by sharp pieces of glass or rebar.
In particular, it is said that the 1st team of the relief team carried out search and rescue activities by relying on general tents and thermal food instead of tents for protection against the cold, even in unfavorable conditions where the perceived temperature was minus 10 degrees Celsius and even electricity and drinking water were cut off due to earthquake damage.
Our relief team 2 arrived in Turkiye the day before.
The 2nd relief team consists of 2 government officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the head of the relief team, 10 medical teams from the National Medical Center, the Korea Foundation for International Medical Health, and the Ministry of National Defense, 5 KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) employees, and 4 private emergency relief organization personnel. It consisted of a total of 21 people.
Although the second group has fewer personnel than the first group, it is characterized by a relatively high proportion of medical teams and the presence of civilian personnel.
The main mission of the relief team 2 is to identify the contents of necessary support projects, such as emergency and long-term reconstruction and restoration needs, through consultation with Turkiye, along with relief activities for victims of earthquake damage.
It is said that the mission of the medical team is also focused on identifying the exact ‘medical demand’ of Turkiye rather than carrying out direct medical activities locally.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc., the dispatch period of the relief team 2 is scheduled to be up to 7 days, but there is a possibility that it may be extended depending on local circumstances.
Hundreds of aftershocks followed the 7.8 earthquake on the 6th in the southeastern region of Turkiye, which borders Syria. As a result, the number of deaths reported so far in both Turkey and Syria is in the 40,000 range.
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.