Visit of the PABSEC Delegation to the Earthquake Disaster Zones in Türkiye, 3 March 2023
On 3 March 2023, the PABSEC delegation composed of Mr. Cemal Ozturk, PABSEC Vice-President, Head of the PABSEC Turkish Delegation, and Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, visited the Adiyaman Province, one of the 10 districts affected by the devastating earthquake in the Republic of Türkiye. During this visit, the PABSEC Delegation was accompanied by Mr. Ali Gürkan Ustundag, Administrative Officer of the PABSEC International Secretariat and Mr. Husseyin Kucur, member of the PABSEC International Secretariat.
The PABSEC Delegation met with the governor of Ordu, who was sent by the leadership of the Republic of Türkiye to assist the victims and to take the necessary measures to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake. The PABSEC Delegation visited the temporary camps for the earthquake victims, met with the people accommodated in those camps and was informed about the assistance to the earthquake victims carried out by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye. The PABSEC Delegation handed over to the National Medical Rescue Service, the medical and humanitarian aid collected by the staff of the PABSEC International Secretariat.
After visiting the disaster zone in the province of Adiyaman, the PABSEC Delegation visited other places of temporary residence settlements for victims and got acquainted with the work of social services, directed to children and to the elderly who were affected by the earthquake and were in need of assistance. The PABSEC Delegation also visited the Earthquake Coordination Centre located at Adiyaman University and took note of the detailed information about the planning reconstruction in the region, which will be completed in the near future.
On 4 March 2023, the staff of the PABSEC International Secretariat, who accompanied the PABSEC delegation, visited the province of Malatya, which was also heavily affected by the earthquake and got acquainted with the situation regarding the temporary housing for the earthquake victims and the food aid by the AFAD, the Red Crescent and other charity organizations that operate in the affected areas.
As a result of the devastating earthquake on 6 February 2023, in 10 provinces of the Republic of Türkiye, about 13 million people were affected. More than 46,000 people died and more than 227,000 buildings were destroyed and severely damaged. All the departments of the Republic of Türkiye continue to make unprecedented efforts to repair the earthquake damages and carry out large-scale restoration works. At the same time, international aid continues to arrive from all over the world.