wfn.org | ADRA Helps Turkey Earthquake Survivors For Winter

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

October 30, 1999
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

ADRA Helps Prepare Turkey Earthquake Survivors For Harsh 
Winter

Istanbul, Turkey. (APD)   As the Adventist Development and 
Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to serve the survivors of 
the August earthquake in Turkey, the humanitarian agency 
makes an initiative to prepare the devastated survivors 
for the harsh winter months ahead, delivering weatherproof 
tents and warm bedding materials.

ADRA's office in Germany recently delivered 300 weatherproof 
tents to the suffering people in Turkey's earthquake zone. The 
tents are already housing more than 1,000 people in two 
different tent cities near Adapazari, where the number of 
people living in tent communities continues to grow. 

"Because the government is planning to expand the tent 
community in Adapazari, they were very happy to have summer 
tents replaced with our weatherproof ones," says Alex Balint, 
public relations officer of ADRA operations in Turkey. 
"ADRA's new tents can eventually house as many as 2,400." 

Although the weatherproof tents are made to keep people warm 
during colder weather, ADRA is working diligently to develop 
safer, more permanent structures for the harsh winter months 
ahead.

Only a little more than 10,600 buildings are left usable in the 
earthquake affected area, reports Balint. Currently, most of the 
120,000 people left homeless are living in the 50 tent cities 
in the outskirts of Adapazari. "These people continue to suffer 
from lack of shelter, nutrition, clean drinking water, heat, 
disease and hunger," adds Balint.

Last week, ADRA's office in Czech Republic also delivered more 
than US$17,200 worth of humanitarian supplies to Turkey, 
including beds, blankets, sleeping bags, hygiene items, dishes, 
tents, and other items. ADRA is distributing the items this week 
to tent cities in Adapazari. Also during the past month, ADRA 
has delivered more than 1,500 packages of clothing and shoes, 
and more than 100 packages of toys to the earthquake-devastated 
towns of Adapazari, Izmit and Gölcük.

ADRA, formed in 1956, is an independent, humanitarian agency 
established with the specific purpose of individual and 
community development and disaster relief in more than 120 
countries world-wide. ADRA's International office is located 
in Silver Spring, Maryland/USA.