shelterbox

ShelterBox Response Team arrives in Van, Turkey

Following the massive earthquake that struck southeast Turkey on 23 October, a ShelterBox team is on the ground in the affected area to offer assistance to families in need. 

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members David Eby (US) and Mark Pearson (UK) arrived in Van, a city close to the epicenter of the earthquake, this morning, 26 October. The Turkish Government has now officially requested international assistance and the team are holding discussions with the authorities and other partners to establish how to get urgently required emergency shelter to those in need. 

It is estimated that over 2000 buildings have been destroyed and there have been reports that thousands of people have had to sleep outdoors in freezing temperatures.

 

David reported, ‘The weather forecast predicts snow in the next few days, so it is essential that appropriate emergency shelter is provided as soon as possible. Families left homeless will suffer in the sub-zero temperatures unless they are provided with warmth and protection.’

 

ShelterBox tents are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high winds and heavy rainfall. A purposely designed thermal layer can be added between the inner and outer sheets for extra insulation in extreme conditions. ShelterBox can also provide stoves, groundsheets, blankets and warm clothing for people in need.

 

As reports of the number of fatalities and the extent of the damage continue to grow, ShelterBox will strive to get aid to the most vulnerable in the shortest time possible.

 

Rotarianer fra en dansk Rotary Klub på vej til Tyrkiet med ShelterBox

Cagri Han Karatas, et medlem af Copenhagen International Rotary Club,er på vej til Van i det østlige Tyrkiet i dag, tirsdag, 25. oktober for at hjælpe med at vurdere behovet for ShelterBox nødhjælp i lyset af de 7,2 Richter jordskælvet, som hærgede området søndag.

Cagri Han vil være en del af et team ledet af ShelterBox Field Operations Specialist Mark Pearson, der er på rejse fra England.

"En af de største problemer befolkningen vil ansigt vil være de mange efterskælv, og en frygt for at vende tilbage til bygninger, når så mange er blevet ødelagt allerede. Som altid vores fokus er at sikre de mest sårbare, er modtager støtte så hurtigt som muligt" sagde Mark.

To hundrede mennesker er blevet rapporteret som aflives eftersammenbruddet af snesevis af bygninger i hele regionen, med mange tusinde flere boliger alvorligt beskadiget, og mange flere dødsfaldforventes at blive bekræftet inden for de næste 24 timer.

Zulfukar Arapoglu, borgmesteren i Ercis bydelen Van, siger til nyhedsbureauet tv-station NTV: "Mange bygninger er kollapset, mange mennesker blev dræbt, men vi kender ikke antallet. Vi venter på nødhjælp, det er meget presserende.

"Vi har brug for telte hurtigt og redningshold. Vi har ikke nogen ambulancer, og vi kun har ét hospital. Vi har mange dræbte og sårede. "

Cagri Han gennemgik uddannelse sidste år at forberede sig til denne type operation. Hans lokale sprogfærdigheder vil være uvurderlig i kontakt med ngo'er, såsom den tyrkiske Røde Halvmåne.

Han har været i kontakt med formanden for Ankara Rotary Klub, der har udtrykt sin dybe taknemmelighed over, at Rotarianere i andre dele af verden er villige til at tilbyde direkte hjælp så hurtigt.

Cagri Han sammen med Copenhagen International Rotary Club's Præsident, Fiona Tod

Rotarian from a Danish Rotary Club on his way to Turkey with ShelterBox

Cagri Han Karatas, a member of Copenhagen International Rotary Club, is on his way to Van in Eastern Turkey today, Tuesday, October  25^th, to help assess the need for ShelterBox disaster relief in the light of the 7.2-richter earthquake which devastated the area Sunday.

Cagri Han will be a part of a team led by ShelterBox Field Operations Specialist Mark Pearson who is travelling from the UK.

“One of the biggest problems the population will face will be the numerous aftershocks and a fear of returning to buildings when so many have been destroyed already. As ever our focus is ensuring the most vulnerable are receiving aid as quickly as possible,' Mark said.

Two hundred people have been reported as killed following the collapse of dozens of buildings across the region; with thousands more homes severely damaged and many more fatalities expected to be confirmed within the next 24 hours.

Zulfukar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis district of Van, told news broadcaster NTV: ‘A lot of buildings have collapsed, many people were killed, but we don't know the number. We are waiting for emergency help, it's very urgent.

‘We need tents urgently and rescue teams. We don't have any ambulances, and we only have one hospital. We have many killed and injured.’

Cagri Han underwent training last year to prepare for this type of operation. His local language skills will be invaluable in liaising with NGO’s such as the Turkish Red Crescent Society.

He has been in touch with the President of the Ankara Rotary Club who has expressed his deep gratitude that Rotarians in other parts of the world are prepared to offer direct help so Publishquickly.

 

ShelterBox responding to Turkey earthquake

ShelterBox is responding to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck southeast Turkey on Sunday 23 October, with the epicentre at the village of Tabanli, 20 kilometres north of Van city. 

Two hundred people have been reported as killed following the collapse of dozens of buildings across the region; with thousands more homes severely damaged and many more fatalities expected to be confirmed within the next 24 hours.

ShelterBox is liaising with the Turkish Red Crescent Society and other local contacts with Mark Pearson, ShelterBox Field Operations Specialist, en-route to the affected area.

‘One of the biggest problems the population will face will be the numerous aftershocks and a fear of returning to buildings when so many have been destroyed already. As ever our focus is ensuring the most vulnerable are receiving aid as quickly as possible,' Mark said.

Emergency help urgent

Zulfukar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis district of Van, told news broadcaster NTV: ‘A lot of buildings have collapsed, many people were killed, but we don't know the number. We are waiting for emergency help, it's very urgent.

‘We need tents urgently and rescue teams. We don't have any ambulances, and we only have one hospital. We have many killed and injured.’

Displaced Thai families receiving ShelterBox aid

ShelterBox are making a massive impact to families’ lives in Thailand. Over four hundred ShelterBoxes are being distributed following floods that have submerged a third of the country.

According to UN situation reports two months of heavy rain and monsoons have seen hundreds of lives lost and more than two million people affected by severe flooding. The Mekong River basin has been severely affected, where thousands of families have had to flee their homes.

Tents and other essential aid equipment including water purification kits are being distributed in the provinces of Ayutthaya and Lop Buri. Due to the wide submersion of the area, the ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) have worked with local communities to pitch tents wherever possible, ensuring that families are in safety amid continuing adversity.

However, amongst such terrible conditions, SRT volunteer, Steven Crabtree (UK), said that families are incredibly relieved after receiving their gift of life-saving aid from ShelterBox.

‘It’s so unfortunate that such wonderfully warmhearted people have to face such treacherous conditions but when we’ve given a family a ShelterBox the smiles that light-up their faces are infectious,’ he said.

‘We’ve managed to give homes to small communities and you start to get the feeling that these people are returning to some normality following two months of relentless flooding.’ 

With floodwaters starting to encroach on the capital, Bangkok, an additional commitment of five hundred tents is due to arrive in the area within the next few days so the team can distribute tents even more widely.

‘We are looking forward to bringing even more families back to normality over the coming days’, Steven added.

Taipei embassy praises ShelterBox response

Following a recent visit by Tom Henderson, Founder and CEO of ShelterBox, to the Taipei UK embassy, Katharine Siao-yue Chang, Taipei UK Representative, has praised ShelterBox’s response to Typhoon Morakot in August 2009, thought to be the strongest typhoon to hit the region in recorded history.

Floods caused by Typhoon Morakot left many parts of south Taiwan under three metres of water, with 1,766 homes destroyed.

ShelterBox were one of the first agencies to respond deploying a total of 324 boxes.

Katharine Siao-yue Chang praised the global humanitarian response to the disaster, bringing special attention to ShelterBox’s work.

‘The timely assistance of ShelterBox in particular was crucial to those affected by Typhoon Morakot. A safe place to sleep is one of the most fundamental of human needs, and your provision of tents and sleeping bags in this time of crisis ensured that this need was met despite the destruction wrought,’ she said.

‘This demonstrated great compassion and generosity on your part, for which we will always be very grateful.

‘We are truly grateful to organisations in the international community such as yours, who provided such great support and generous assistance in the wake of the disaster. The people of Taiwan will forever hold your generosity close to their hearts.’

Scouts help deploy ShelterBox aid in flooded Brazil

Following the completion of ShelterBox’s latest deployment to Brazil, ShelterBox Response Team member David Hatcher (UK) has praised local Scouts’ part in dispatching emergency aid to families who had been made homeless following devastating floods.

ShelterBox deployed 53 boxes to build the emergency camp at Sulfabril in Rio do Sul in the South East of Brazil after floodwaters submerged eighty percent of the town.

Once the greatest need for aid had been identified, Scouts from the Scout Group Mafeking in Rio do Sul were on hand immediately, helping to distribute the aid within four days of the ShelterBoxes arriving.

David estimates that the Scouts were responsible for pitching over half of the ShelterBox tents and played a vital role in the deployment.

‘There is no doubt that without the enthusiasm, commitment and hard work of the Scouts ShelterBox would not have succeeded in providing emergency shelter to all the families in such a short period of time,’ he said.

‘The experience and team spirit that the Scouts brought to the task ensured everyone else involved in the operation enjoyed working alongside them and achieved a remarkable result.

‘The families who benefitted and the SRT members are most grateful to all the Scouts and their leaders who made the deployment such a speedy success.’

Great learning experience 

Chairman of Scouts Group Mafeking, Antonio Carlos de Oliveria, added; ‘It was a great learning experience for the members of Mafeking Scout Group, the collaboration with ShelterBox showed us the importance of being better prepared to face adverse situations.

‘Once again our Scouts surprised us with their solidarity and collective responsibility. We thank ShelterBox for their great work in our community, and giving the opportunity and confidence to our scouts to help in their mission.’

ShelterBox has a strong history of working with Scout organisations, Brazil is the latest in a number of deployments which have been assisted by Scout groups around the world.

‘Phenomenal spirit’ in Thailand despite rising floods

Homes are submerged, floodwater is running through entire towns and approximately sixty thousand families are displaced, but people are still smiling in Thailand.

 

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Scott Robinson (US) said that despite the devastating conditions the spirit of the people is incredible.

 

‘Families are living on roadsides with floodwater running through their makeshift tarpaulin shelters. Many of them have no more than their spouses and children, some are lucky enough to have salvaged a bag of possessions, yet their spirit is phenomenal,’ he said.

 

‘They’re still smiling and trying to go about their normal lives.’

 

But despite the families’ resilient attitude, the need for aid remains desperate. WHO (World Health Organisation) reports that 53 of 77 provinces in Thailand have been affected by the floods caused by heavy incessant rains over the last few months. And the situation is only getting worse as floodwaters continue to rise and people try to cope with the worst flooding in eleven years.

 

Higher grounds

 

‘Trucks are picking up the scores of displaced families that are lining the main roads in the worst hit areas and taking them to higher grounds,’ Scott added.

 

‘There is very little dry ground but we’ve managed to identify football pitches and courtyards that would be suitable for relocating families. We’re acting as fast as possible so when the aid arrives we can provide the emergency shelter these families so desperately need.’

 

Meetings are ongoing between ShelterBox, the Red Cross and local Rotarians to secure land so that aid can be deployed immediately.

 

A minimum of 448 ShelterBoxes have been committed to Thailand from pre-positioned stock in Singapore with the request for more aid likely.

‘Phenomenal spirit’ in Thailand despite rising floods

Homes are submerged, floodwater is running through entire towns and approximately sixty thousand families are displaced, but people are still smiling in Thailand.

 

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Scott Robinson (US) said that despite the devastating conditions the spirit of the people is incredible.

 

‘Families are living on roadsides with floodwater running through their makeshift tarpaulin shelters. Many of them have no more than their spouses and children, some are lucky enough to have salvaged a bag of possessions, yet their spirit is phenomenal,’ he said.

 

‘They’re still smiling and trying to go about their normal lives.’

 

But despite the families’ resilient attitude, the need for aid remains desperate. WHO (World Health Organisation) reports that 53 of 77 provinces in Thailand have been affected by the floods caused by heavy incessant rains over the last few months. And the situation is only getting worse as floodwaters continue to rise and people try to cope with the worst flooding in eleven years.

 

Higher grounds

 

‘Trucks are picking up the scores of displaced families that are lining the main roads in the worst hit areas and taking them to higher grounds,’ Scott added.

 

‘There is very little dry ground but we’ve managed to identify football pitches and courtyards that would be suitable for relocating families. We’re acting as fast as possible so when the aid arrives we can provide the emergency shelter these families so desperately need.’

 

Meetings are ongoing between ShelterBox, the Red Cross and local Rotarians to secure land so that aid can be deployed immediately.

 

A minimum of 448 ShelterBoxes have been committed to Thailand from pre-positioned stock in Singapore with the request for more aid likely.

 

 

ShelterBox assessing storm-struck South East Asia

Aid assessments are being undertaken by a number of ShelterBox Response Teams (SRTs) across South East Asia after tropical storms and flooding have inundated Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines causing widespread devastation.

 

An essential process in providing the ShelterBox Solution, SRT assessments identify areas in the greatest need of emergency aid and determine the safest areas to pitch tents and relocate families.

 

SRT member Jodie Hurt (UK) arrived in the Philippines on 3 October to join Jose Ongkiko (PH) and Abner Tayco (PH) after a second typhoon struck the Philippines within a week. Typhoon Nalgae continued to worsen the flooding and destruction brought by Typhoon Nesat, which had already forced one hundred thousand people from their homes. A further ten thousand families have been affected by the latest typhoon.

 

Another SRT comprised of Nicolas Ducrocq (FR), Scott Robinson (US) and Steve Gibson (US) are currently in Thailand after the worst flooding in eleven years has struck Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Heavy rain has swamped homes, washed away bridges and flooded paddy fields destroying livelihoods.

 

The Mekong River, which runs through six Asian countries, has been the source of the flooding which is forecast to get even worse within the next few weeks.

 

A crucial stage

 

Alf Evans, ShelterBox Operations Manager, says assessments are a crucial stage in deploying disaster relief.

 

‘The assessments that we are carrying out ensure that all needs are met and we provide aid through the safest and most effective means possible’, he said.

 

‘We are making sure the most severely affected families have everything they need in these treacherous periods so they can start rebuilding their lives.’

 

448 ShelterBoxes have already been committed to the region with hundreds more boxes expected to be allocated when the need for more aid has been identified.