Friend, Project HOPE’s team in Turkey (Türkiye) is safe following Monday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake. But this aftershock is having a severe impact on the mental health of people across the region, including families and people living in tents, damaged buildings, or even without shelter at all.
Our mental health specialist Rawan Hamadeh is on the ground in Turkey. She told us:
"Exposure to continuous aftershocks like today can trigger fear, anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD in survivors. We remain dedicated to providing mental health support as part of our immediate response and for the longer term. We must also not forget about supporting health care workers who are dealing with their own issues while caring for their patients."
Project HOPE first started providing medical support in Turkey in 1987 and has responded to previous disasters including the 1999 earthquake and Syrian refugee crisis in 2013-2015. We will keep you updated as conditions and our work to save lives evolves.
Thank you, Rabih Torbay President and CEO
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