A destroyed building on the outskirts of Antioch (Hatay, Turkey) © Ana Mora Segura / Action Against Hunger
24 February 2023.
Four earthquakes and 3,000 aftershocks in just two weeks have not only left more than a million people homeless but also left them in a state of fear, shock and trauma. Without rapid psychological support, the impact on the mental health of survivors will be devastating, and may mean some never recover.
Silvia Rodriguez, Action Against Hunger’s psychosocial expert, deployed in Turkey, said: “In emergencies like this, people suffer a lot of human and material losses and have to change all their plans from one day to the next. They don’t know if they’re going to be able to eat or where they’re going to sleep. This has a huge impact on their mental health and wellbeing.”
Silvia Rodríguez, Psychosocial Expert with Action Against Hunger in front of a warehouse under construction delivered by the NGO to its partner entity, Support to Life, in the province of Hatay (Turkey) © Ana Mora Segura / Action Against Hunger
“The most typical reactions in an emergency, especially in the first weeks, are symptoms of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. If people are unable to sleep for days, this will hinder their recovery, preventing them from looking after themselves, eating properly or taking part in community activities.”
Therefore, the emergency response must include psychosocial care, to protect the mental health and wellbeing of survivors and the emergency teams on the ground. This can be through mental health support, support groups and activities where survivors can contribute to the community and stay active.
A community kitchen to strengthen social cohesion
Following an emergency of this scale, it’s important for survivors to return to regular activities to provide a sense of normality and comfort. Action Against Hunger set up a community kitchen in Kahramanmaras province providing kitchen equipment and food, it is led by volunteers affected by the crisis who have taken an active role in looking after their community.
Action Against Hunger helps manage the regular delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as local products such as oil, olives, yoghurt and grain, ensuring a varied diet.
Aid distribution in Turkey © Ana Mora Segura / ActionAgainst Hunger
Rodríguez added: “After a devastating experience – many people feel hopeless. The community kitchen in Kahramanmaraş is an excellent example of how being involved in food distribution and preparation strengthens the support network of the affected population, provides a sense of community and allows people to feel involved in the response effort.”
Support to Life, a partner of Action Against Hunger in Turkey, are setting up baby friendly spaces. These areas help pregnant, and breastfeeding women and their children in emergency situations. As well as serving as infant and young child feeding centres, they are spaces in which to provide psychosocial help to mothers and children and provide a space for children to play.
In Syria, Action Against Hunger is supporting mental health and psycho-social support sessions through mobile medical teams reaching families displaced by the earthquake.
Addressing people’s mental health can help their physical well-being as well.
ENDS/
Notes to Editors
- For more information or commentary please contact [email protected] or 0208293 6130 to arrange
- Action Against Hunger is the world’s leading charity stopping life-threatening hunger in its tracks. By training parents and healthcare workers to spot the signs, we get life-saving care to people who need it. Action Against Hunger’s research drives forward understanding of how to predict, prevent and treat life-threatening hunger. With unbeatable knowledge and unstoppable determination, the charity supported more than 26 million people across 51 countries in 2021.
- For more information, please visit Action Against Hunger UK’s website or follow Action Against Hunger UK on Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.