SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 45,000 people were killed as multiple earthquakes hit the Turkey-Syria region 11 days ago. Now, additional resources are being deployed to help recover.
The disaster response team who helped the Sacramento region recover from the onslaught of destructive storms is now heading overseas to help the millions of people displaced by the devastation.
"We're in İskenderun [Turkey] today meeting with local partners, talking with individuals, there's a ton of ruin here in the center of town in the port city. There's equipment, people going through the rubble still trying to find individuals. We're here assessing how we can help with the various needs in the community,” said Dennis Clancey from Team Rubicon.
He says roads are packed with vehicles, streets are flooded and infrastructure is decimated.
“You also realize there are a ton of people who don't have a place to live now. Some people are living in their cars. There are a ton of people who have made temporary shelter. You can see from the town markets, there are people who have converted that into their new living space,” said Clancey.
Team Rubicon is an international veteran-led disaster relief team who helped remove storm damage in Sacramento throughout January.
Now they’re working in coordination with the World Health Organization and the Turkish government to focus on medical needs.
“Right now their medical system has been severely disrupted. Many of the hospitals are inoperable or damaged, so we have to deliver a wide range of medical services,” said Team Rubicon CEO Art delaCruz.
The team will face some major differences from their time helping Sacramento to helping Turkey and Syria — namely the severe weather conditions they’ll face.
“You have a lack of power, you have a lack of water and then the complexities that add on top of that now you'll have congregate sheltering, you know, where people are living in close proximity to one another. You could have waterborne diseases, you know, such as cholera,” said delaCruz.
Overall, the U.S. State Department says Washington has provided more than $85 million in earthquake relief to this region.
“Our goal is to be able to enter this environment and not create MORE STRESS ON the people or competition for the SLIM resources that are there,” said delaCruz.
Team Rubicon says they expect 16 to 18 more members to join the four members already in Turkey by Monday.
For those in Sacramento who want to help, an earthquake benefit relief concert will be held downtown in the Memorial Auditorium Wed., Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, click HERE.
