PHA-Exchange> Fw: Iran EQ- ActionAid media coverage- Khaleej Times (Dubai) - 26 February 2004

[mohammad ali barzgar]

Dear Claudio,

First of all I wish to thank you very much for reflekting the Tragedy of 
earthquake of Iran and sympathic letters of PHM's friends to me quite often 
in pha-exchange request.It was really a matter of relief and global 
solidarity and support.

Secondly I have recieved a media-coverage of ActionAid media activities 
about the Bam earthquake,which seems to me interesting.I should mention that 
the PHM Iran and it's allied agency "the Nursing Organization of Iran" had 
done their best for the success of initiatve of Action Aid.I will be 
grateful if it is relevant to be circulated through pha-exchange 
request,please do so.Many thanks and kindest 
regards.Dr.M.A.Barzgar,PHM,Iran.


>From: "UNNIKRISHNAN P.V. (Dr)" <unnikru at yahoo.com>
>To: "mohammad ali barzgar" <m_barzgar at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Fw: Iran EQ- ActionAid media coverage-  Khaleej Times (Dubai) - 26 
>February 2004
>Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 22:47:13 +0530
>
>Dear Dr. Barzgar
>
>I hope you find this interesting.
>
>Regards
>
>Unni
>
>
>Iran EQ- ActionAid media coverage- Khaleej Times (Dubai) - 26 February 2004
>
>http://www.khaleejtimes.com/CityHome.asp?xfile=data/citytimes/2004/February/citytimes_February118.xml&section=citytimes&col=
>
>       Khaleej Times Online >> City Times
>         TO BAM AND BACK
>         BY FARHA SAIT
>
>         26 February 2004
>
>         Little is written about Bam these days. Or its grieving, 
>devastated
>residents. And how they are coping in the aftermath of nature's harsh blow
>that claimed 43,000 of their kith and kin.
>
>
>         It is just two months since tragedy struck, yet few reports are
>flowing out of there. Fewer making headlines. The last of the newsmen have
>packed up and left for crisper headlines leaving thousands of injured and
>psychologically disturbed to battle with their fate. Even international aid
>workers are reportedly leaving the southeast Iranian city where over
>thousands of buildings collapsed leaving 20,000 injured in the wee hours of
>December 26, 2003.
>
>         "However, the scene here is far from normal," Indian-born quake
>specialist, Dr P.V. UnniKrishnan told City Times in an exclusive interview
>just 48 hours after he left the disaster-struck city. Scheduled to return 
>to
>Bam in a week's time, Dr Krishnan was enroute to India to visit his family.
>
>         "Rescue operations are successfully completed and notable number 
>of
>aid workers and media people are leaving Bam each day. However, the real
>work of rehabilitating the victims has only just begun now," said the
>specialist who landed in Iran just hours after tragedy struck, and has been
>working there since as part of a three-man team deputed by British NGO,
>Action Aid.
>
>         As per Unicef reports, the quake has rendered over 60,000 people,
>mainly children, homeless. These survivors are still in a fragile state of
>mind and body  and are in desperate need of aid, medical help and
>counselling. They are devastated mentally and physically and the lack of
>proper food, clothing and absence of family, has created an immensely 
>tragic
>situation. The worst of its kind in recent times.
>
>         "Instead of leaving them in such a situation, it is important that
>aid organisations and various countries step up their support for the
>victims of the Bam tragedy," said Dr Krishnan who is currently involved in
>conducting community based training programmes and implementing long-term
>rehab programme in association with the Iranian Nursing Association.
>
>         "The first months of any disaster usually constitute the emergency
>operations and in the case of Bam, the relief operations were excellent.
>Within no time the Iranian government, the Ministry of Health and the
>Iranian Red Cresent airlifted 15,000 survivors into safer pockets of the
>country thereby immediately assuring their safety."
>
>         "The operations that we saw in Bam perhaps far surpassed any other
>rescue operation anywhere in the world. The Iranian Nursing Association has
>done a remarkable job. The manner in which the nurses worked tirelessly,
>regardless of the deaths in their own families, is something that can never
>really be explained. All I can say is that angels are not confined to the
>heavens," said the doctor who had previously served his expertise in 
>Gujarat
>and more recently in Turkey.
>
>         Two kinds of people demand immediate attention in Bam, says Dr
>Krishnan. Those with physical disabilities of some sort and those with
>psychological problems. The most common physical problems noticed in
>survivors includes disabilities of the hip bone, spine, vertebrae and
>multiple fractures of the lower limb. However, while these can be treated
>gradually, it is really the psychological scars that will remain for 
>decades
>to come, he says.
>
>         As per initial studies conducted by the World Health Organisation
>(WHO), it has been proved that post trauma stress disorders increase and
>suicides rates go up in the aftermath of such a disaster. The disability
>load increases. Health and sanitary issues take a backseat and diseases
>spread rapidly. Bam is no exception to this.
>
>         "Entire families and neighbourhoods were wiped out in the tragedy
>with no or just a sole survivor at times. The thing with Bam is that the
>people here used to live in extended families of up to 120 members living
>together in a cluster settlement. So whereas in other places families are
>scattered across a certain area, in Bam, they were closely grouped together
>resulting in being totally wiped out."
>
>         "Children specially are badly affected by this and still shiver at
>the recollection of the horror of seeing thousands of body parts scattered
>all around them. Their relatives and friends went missing overnight. Many
>not found for days. The memory of those moments makes them break out in a
>sweat. They wake up in the middle of the night screaming and shouting. Many
>of them do not even know how to react in such a situation and their state 
>is
>very moving. In so many years of my practice, this is one experience that
>will stay with me for a long time," says Dr Krishnan.
>
>         "The children are the ones my heart really goes out to. Many of 
>them
>have withdrawn into a shell and refuse to talk or eat. I can recollect the
>faces and expressions of so many such young ones, looking for their parents
>or realising they will never see them again. The entire situation in Bam 
>has
>been a human tragedy of the worst kind."
>
>         "There are serious issues of rehabilitation that lie before us now
>and I strongly feel that the world should unite and focus its attention on
>these problems before it is too late."
>
>
>

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