Some of us flock to the area voluntarily. Most of us cannot remain indifferent to any call for help from social media. Some of us donate, some of us send a warm coat with a supportive note. In a sense, we’re all trying to do whatever we can, big or small.
In this process, where we show a great example of solidarity, you may want to collect and send things that you think will work as quickly as possible. However, there are important points that we should pay attention to when determining the needs to be sent as aid and packaging the aid boxes.
You can start by taking the aid to the areas determined and announced by the governorships and municipalities within the framework of official permissions, and you can participate in studies in these areas voluntarily.
It is useful to remind; When it is not organized, it can be difficult for individual aids to reach those in need. In fact, each truck and vehicle sent separately is already difficult enough to reach the region, but when adverse weather conditions are added, it can create density at the entrance to earthquake zones.
For this reason, aid needs to be transported to the region through non-governmental organizations such as AHBAP, which act in coordination with each other and the state, in addition to AFAD and Red Crescent, and reach those in need in an organized and rapid manner.
Most important; Among the items to be put in the boxes, there should not be any unusable items that you would not dare to throw away.
It’s pretty embarrassing to even say that; however, the items that came out of the aid that grew like an avalanche appeared on social media platforms. Do not add things that should not be shared with others in terms of hygiene, such as summer, thin, dirty clothes, jewelry, high heels, evening dresses, bikinis, shoes with separated soles and unusable, torn gloves, socks, underwear.
Ask the questions “Would I use this, would I want to use it?” Take care to choose packaged, new and clean items as much as possible. It is a waste of time for the staff and volunteers working in the areas where aid is collected to deal with sorting them out. Extra fatigue can be avoided as an intensive workforce is required for sorting, packaging and transporting the randomly piled up items.
Items that you think are clean and new, especially clothes, should be packed in a way that is suitable for adverse weather conditions such as snow and heavy rain in the earthquake area and not damaged until they reach the area.
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In cases where the parcels get wet, the items inside may become unusable. Putting the items in sturdy bags and placing them in boxes and tying the bags tightly is an important detail in order to prevent any damage that may occur during transportation and transportation.
Another thing to consider when packaging is the weight of the aid boxes. It is prepared so that only one person can carry it easily, making it easy and fast to transport the aids.
Knowing what’s inside each box is an important detail for convenience both during loading and transportation.
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The presence of an undamaged and legible list of the contents on the parcels speeds up the relief efforts. In addition, it is necessary to tape the outer surface of the boxes very well against possible damage such as tearing and crushing.
Thus, properly packaged aids are not opened and closed repeatedly until they reach those in need. This is also important for hygiene.
In addition, it is important to frequently check the updated needs lists of other official institutions and organizations such as AFAD.
Because we must take into account that the needs in the region may change momentarily. For this reason, it is very important to follow the official and confirmed list shares and act in this direction. For example, although priority needs such as clean water, canned food, blankets, tents, clean clothes and power banks still continue, the range of these needs is expanding day by day.
In addition to these, personal care and hygiene products are named as a priority among the needs after a week after the earthquake.
It is very difficult to reach clean, hot water in the region due to the damage to important infrastructures such as water and electricity, which were affected by two major earthquakes. For this reason, meeting the needs of bathrooms and toilets is as urgent as food and shelter. There are some disposable products on the market for this need.
For example, disposable bath washcloths are an auxiliary product for cleansing the body without requiring too much water. In order to ensure hygiene in the region, disinfectants, solutions and such disposable products should also be included in the aid boxes. However, this is still a short-term solution.
Editor note:
None of us can remain indifferent to the many needs that have been demanded since the earthquakes took place. Of course, urgent needs are very important. However, we should not lose this spirit of help and togetherness, which was realized with the warmth of the event. Because the needs of the people living in this region will continue during the periods when time passes and it starts to cool down somehow.
For this reason, we should try to stay strong both mentally and physically in order to be able to help in this traumatic process, even from afar.
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