Turkey: Floods - Sep 2009

Introduction

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) supports disaster response and preparedness activities in 20 countries by working closely with Humanitarian Coordinator’s (HC)/Resident Coordinator’s (RC) offices, OCHA Country Offices and Humanitarian Advisory Teams (HATs).

With 58 cities already committed to "Making Cities Resilient", and 70 more preparing to participate, the campaign had made great progress, Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

"A resilient city," said Ms. Wahlström, "is a city that is able to withstand and recover from the effects of disaster." The new initiative, coordinated by the inter-agency Secretariat of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster …

CHF 294,118 (USD 283,725 or EUR 194,421) was allocated from the International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 18 September, 2009 to support the Turkish Red Crescent in delivering immediate assistance to some 5,000 beneficiaries.

Summary:

The Turkish Red Crescent, with the support of the International Federation, responded to the floods, that affected 11 districts in Istanbul and Tekirdag, by providing 5,000 beneficiaries with food and hygiene items during the emergency phase, as well as 12,118 beneficiaries with psychosocial support and education tools in …

Editorial

In a new decade, humanitarian actors are facing immense challenges. The number of people affected by climate disasters will continue to rise, having a huge impact on migration and livelihoods of millions of people, as was reported in our latest issue of Coping with Crisis.

Furthermore, as of 2008, 16 major armed conflicts were active in 15 locations around the world, an increase from the year earlier.

Press Release No.869

Geneva, 8 December 2009 (WMO) - The year 2009 is likely to rank in the top 10 warmest on record since the beginning of instrumental climate records in 1850, according to data sources compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The global combined sea surface and land surface air temperature for 2009 (January-October) is currently estimated at 0.44°C ± 0.11°C (0.79°F ± 0.20°F) above the 1961-1990 annual average of 14.00°C/57.2°F.

The Humanitarian Update is a monthly publication from UN OCHA's Regional Office in Dubai, reporting on the main humanitarian events in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. For more information on Iraq or OPT, please visit www.ochairaq.org and www.ochaopt.org

H1N1 "Swine Flu"

As of 3 October 2009, 12,861 laboratory-confirmed cases of Pandemic (H1N1) were reported to WHO by 21 out of 22 Member States of WHO Eastern …

By Ayberk Yurtsever and Erdem =C7öplen, Turkish Red Crescent Society

North-western Turkey and Istanbul have been hit by the heaviest rains in 80 years. The floods, that followed, killed at least 34 people. Nine people remain missing, roads, homes and farmland have been submerged. According to official reports, more than 35,000 people have been affected. The damage is estimated in billions of Turkish lira.

Turkish emergency units were on alert as the flash floods swept across the country on 8 September.

GLIDE No. FL-2009-000190-TUR

The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross and Red Crescent response to emergencies.

8 Sep 2009 - The heaviest recorded rainfall in Turkey in the last 80 years triggers flash floods in Tekirdag and Istanbul provinces, killing 33 people and affecting over 35,000.

ANKARA, Sept.

TRCS'S HELPING HAND REACHES TO FLOOD VICTIMS

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 7 people in Tekirdag the north western part of Turkey on 8 September and torrential rains also caused floods in the Silivri and Catalca districts of !stanbul, killed another 26 people and immersing homes and roads on 9 September. As per 10 September, 7 people remain missing. Officials report that some 35.000 people have been affected by the flash floods.

Istanbul governor has told damage from the floods could total $70 million-$80 million.

Istanbul, Turkey =96 Recent flooding in parts of Turkey has underscored the need to focus on ecologically-sound flood management practices to shield urban areas from extreme weather events, particularly those caused by climate change.

"The presence of deadly floods right in the heart of Istanbul first of all points at the insufficient infrastructure of the city," said Dr. Filiz Demirayak, the CEO of WWF-Turkey.

Flash floods killed 31 people in and around =DDstanbul on Wednesday. While 9 people are still missing, hundreds of houses and offices have been severely damaged by the flash floods.

Hundreds of families cannot go their houses flooded with mud.

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed thirty three people in northwestern Turkey till Wednesday, officials and reports said. Today torrential rains also caused floods in the Silivri and Catalca suburbs of Istanbul, immersing homes and roads. Two major highways leading to Istanbul were closed down. Tens of thousands people were said to be affected from the floods according to the officials.

Istanbul (dpa) At least 30 people have died in flooding caused by heavy rains overnight in Istanbul and the surrounding area, local reports said Wednesday.

"This is the worst catastrophe in recent years," Istanbul governor Muammer Guler said. Around 220 litres of rain per square metre has fallen since Tuesday. The previous average rainfall for September has been 35 litres per square metre.

Rescue teams found a number of bodies along a flooded motorway in western Istanbul, according to reports.

• Istanbul sees heaviest rain in 80 years

  - People trapped on flooded roads and on rooftops

  - Seven bodies found in swamped minibus

  By Murad Sezer

  ISTANBUL, Sept 9 (Reuters) - At least 23 people were killed when floods swept the Turkish city of Istanbul, swamping houses, turning highways into fast-flowing rivers and drowning seven women in a minibus that was taking them to work.

  Military helicopters hovered over districts on the European side of Turkey's largest city on Wednesday after two days of the heaviest rain in 80 years.