It has been a little over a week since DSB sent five aid workers to earthquake-stricken Turkey. Among them is Tommy Flåterud from Notodden. – Here are employees from Italy, China and Serbia. Yes, the whole world is represented. IN HATAY: Tommy Flåterud is based in the very south of Turkey in Hatay. One of the hardest hit provinces. Flåterud is also located in the hardest-hit part of this province. Photo: Tommy Flåterud The directorate has received inquiries from both the EU, NATO and the UN. The task is to help with the coordination of the aid that comes to the country. Very simple conditions Over 41,000 people have been confirmed dead in southern Turkey and the neighboring area in Syria. Over 35,000 of these are reported dead in Turkey. According to the Turkish authorities, over 50,000 buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged after the earthquake disaster. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the earthquake as the worst natural disaster in the European region in a hundred years. Flåterud’s job is to run a camp for UNDAC support, which helps the entire humanitarian contribution with support and coordination. Here, search and rescue teams from all over the world have access to clean water, toilets and showers in very simple conditions. The picture in the gallery below was drawn by Flåterud on the same day he appeared in this interview: DESTROYED BUILDINGS: – There are very few buildings left, says Tommy Flåterud. SIMPLE: Tommy Flåterud is in Hatay province in Turkey to operate an aid workers’ camp. MAJOR DESTRUCTION: – Much has completely collapsed and the rest is in poor condition. The whole area is destroyed, says Tommy Flåterud. REPAIRING: A colleague from Luxemburg is turning on a satellite. The descriptions the aid workers come home with are strong. Sends expertise Flåterud is part of a larger team that must find out what needs to be done to achieve good cooperation on the ground, explains international coordinator at DSB, Katrine Wold. She says that, among other things, DSB has sent personnel who are trained and educated for immediate disaster management, and coordination of aid contributions into the disaster area. – In all such disasters, the biggest challenge is to get an overview of the needs and ensure that you can get an overview of how one must be able to communicate with each other, says Wold. THE CAMP FOR AID WORKERS: The job of the Norwegian delegation is to run the camp for aid workers. Photo: Tommy Flåterud Trying to avoid impressions The pictures we see on TV are also the reality Flåterud sees every day, he says. – It is an absolutely enormous disaster. Very few buildings remain. Much has completely collapsed and the rest is in poor condition. The whole area is destroyed. During the day, they are out and working in the disaster area. All the impressions mean that Flåterud is entering a job bubble. It is the only thing that works, he believes. Now is not the time to take over what they are up to, according to Flåterud. – It is a professional and good atmosphere. We are a big humanitarian family. We all have the same drive. A humanitarian family Flåterud feels privileged to be given the opportunity to help. – It gives a lot. The humanitarian heart really gets replenished. – Do you see any hope? – It is a difficult question in the phase we are currently in. I don’t go looking for hope in the everyday now. We are in an absolutely enormous disaster. It is the professional work mode that is the sole focus. We are not looking for either joys or sorrows as it is now.
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