UMCOR specialists to assess need in Bam

31 December 2003

A woman and her son stand in front of rubble following the earthquake in Bam.

In the wake of the earthquake in Bam in south-eastern Iran, the United Methodist Committee on Relief is sending two international field specialists to assess the need for immediate aid as well as for longer term reconstruction.

Guy Hovey, UMCOR NGO's Regional Director for Europe and Asia, and David Sadoo, disaster specialist for UMCOR, will travel to the crisis region accompanied by Rick Augsberger of Church World Service (CWS). Their task is to carry out assessments with a view to potential humanitarian intervention as well as providing information and images of the situation on the ground.

Just before dawn on 26 December 2003, the earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, virtually levelled the historic city, claiming tens of thousands of lives and causing destruction and devastation. Hopes of finding living people buried under the rubble have all but faded as freezing temperatures have significantly lowered chances of survival. For the many homeless, the cold is an additional misery. There are fears of cholera and diphtheria epidemics as water and sanitation facilities have been badly damaged or destroyed.

"UMCOR's excellent experience following the earthquakes in Turkey and El Salvador puts the organization in a good position to provide help in Iran," said Paul Dirdak, UMCOR's chief executive. He added, "Replacement shelter has been a specialty of the agency in its work throughout Afghanistan, Turkey and the former republic of Yugoslavia."

Photo © Reuters / Fatih Saribas, courtesy of AlertNet, www.alertnet.org