From one moment to the next, due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, many children “saw their homes collapse, found themselves under rubble or lost their parents. This is why it is important to intervene immediately psychologically”. This was stated in an interview with Adnkronos by the spokesman for Italy of Save The Children, Filippo Ungaro, highlighting the traumas suffered by minors, around 1.4 million according to the United Nations, who were involved in the devastating earthquake that hit the south of Turkey and northwestern Syria.
“Clearly now the priorities are rescue and rescue and offering shelter, hot meals and basic necessities. In the long term, however, there is the issue of reconstruction, including psychological reconstruction, of children”, explains Ungaro, underlining how Save The Children also fears “separation from parents” and for this reason it has launched “family tracing” activities that have the precise aim of reuniting missing family members.
Recalling how 29% of the Turkish population is made up of minors and therefore, from a statistical point of view, it is easy to hypothesize that there are “many” victims, Ungaro highlights how there are still many children “under the rubble”, but more as time passes, saving them is also complicated “because of the low temperatures and the difficulties of the rescue”. Difficulties, he points out, which are “accentuated” in northwestern Syria, where Save The Children is present through its partners who describe the situation as “truly dramatic”.
In this area of Syria, not controlled by the government in Damascus and “discovered by the rescue workers”, just over 50% of the health facilities have remained standing due to the war and now that the earthquake has brought down many buildings, health care is “further damaged”, continues Ungaro, noting that there has been a cholera epidemic here since August. The only positive note is the opening of a second crossing from Turkey through which international aid can reach Syria.
Ungaro then talks about the images that are making the rounds on the web in these hours showing live minor extracts after a very long time under the rubble. “These photos ignite a minimum of hope and happiness. It is very impressive to see dismayed eyes – he concludes – There is also an impressive photo that shows a father holding his daughter by the hand who died under the rubble. There is deep awareness that the number of victims is increasing by the minute and the very strong concern to reach all areas because the priority is to save human lives”.