IBC upgrades its activities to respond fort he emergency needs of the earthquake victims in Van region.Hundreds of heaters have been distributed in Villages of Van as an emergency response to the basic needs of the earthquake victims. The distribution of heaters continues and will be around 2000 in areas that Crisis Center of Van allocates. It was like a miracle for the villagers of Ermisler, Akcift and surrounding mezra’s (remote settlements of the villages) to get the capacity to protect their families, especcially children in the severe winter conditions with temperatures around minus ten degrees. Around half of the houses of the village are demolished totally, and the rest with different damages make dangerous to leave in because of the aftershocks that continue and rocking the area frequently.
The population benefiting from the distribution of of heaters in the region is more than 16000 most of them poor,lost all their belongings and income resources as livestock and agriculture because of the earthquake and struggling to survive and live in their village or to move to relatives accomodation across Turkey.
Most of them are living in makeshift barracks,tents and prefabricated compounds provided by the state and settled just adjacent to their destroyed or damaged houses.
The heaters distributed are for multipurpose use and wooden or animal extraction heated.Villagers dont face any problem of row materials and this type of heaters is the most common used.
Gas tube heaters distributed by different authorities need to be refilled and that created huge problems for the beneficiaries.In addition two fires broken in tents because of gas and electrical heaters causing the death of two children in Ercis.
The heaters have an additional function too.Villagers can use them for cooking purposes as they did before the earthquake and manage to setle their heating and cooking problems.
International Blue Crescent, has been allocated to deal with all emergency needs of Ermisler and surrounding villages and mezras an area of more than 5000 people, 50 km far from the capital Van.
Other needs covered by the Project are hygiene packages, food packages, winter clothes, blankets and shelters for the animals survived and are essentail for the self sustainability of the families.
In addition IBC-International Blue Crescent will provide with daily food packages the 615 students in the regional school, accomodating all children of these villages on daily basis for two months and will meet the school bag and materials needs of them
