OCHA/GVA-99/0228
Date: 19 November 1999
Turkey - Earthquake
OCHA Situation Report No. 8
19 November 1999 (15.00 hrs Geneva time)

Winterized tents still remain the top priority

GENERAL SITUATION AND NATIONAL RESPONSE

1. As of 08.00 hrs 18 November 1999, and as reported by the Prime Ministry Crisis Management Centre (PMCMC), the number of fatalities is 550 and of injured 3,313. The number of buildings that have collapsed is 750.

2. Eight persons were rescued alive, as of 18 November, by national and international SAR teams. SAR work continues, yet a week past the quake, several international teams have started departure.

3. To date, and as reported by the PMCMC, the following relief items and humanitarian personnel have been dispatched to operating in the affected area:

- Tents*: 18,801
- Field kitchens: 71
- Portable showers & toilets: 336
- Blankets: 200,631
- Beds: 20,337
- Sleeping bags: 9,817
- Heaters: 4,940
- Food (tons): 593
- Water tanks: 4
- Vehicles: 195
- Personnel (SAR & other): 12,265
- Dogs: 152
- Doctors: 433
- Nurses: 100
- Health personnel: 1,051
- Ambulances: 467
- Ambulance planes: 3
- Field hospitals: 8
- Clinic tents: 6
- Helicopters: 28

* Most of the tents are not winterized

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

4. DART-USA donated 7 winterized tents, generators, lighting equipment and 5,000 litres of bottled water to the State Turkish Hospital of Ducze, as well as medical supplies to the Algerian medical team in Ducze.

5. Denmark is sending 7,000 blankets and 2 equipped field kitchens, which will be delivered in two days to the Prime Minister's Crisis Cell in Ankara.

6. The Government of Latvia has made available 10,000 blankets, and the Government of Lithuania is dispatching 900 sleeping bags and 1,200 blankets.

7. The Government of Bulgaria is sending 30 tents (capacity 20 persons), 40 tents (capacity 8 persons), 500 blankets and 50 wood stoves.

8. An updated list of contributions reported to OCHA as of today is available on the reliefweb.

IMMEDIATE RELIEF NEEDS

9. Winterized tents still remain the most pressing need. As not all tents provided so far are winterized, at least 22,000 winterized tents are urgently required in the area.

FIELD REPORT / OSOCC BOLU - 18 NOVEMBER 1999

10.At 08.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs, the OSOCC convened a coordination meeting with the remaining international SAR teams during which the Algerian and French teams announced that they had, jointly with Turkish teams, recovered 2 bodies the night before.