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Al-Ahram Weekly 26 Aug. - 1 Sep. 1999 Issue No. 444 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 26 Aug. - 1 Sep. 1999 Issue No. 444
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Focus Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Race against time
By Fatemah FaragIt was raining when the 10th convoy of the Egyptian army rescue services entered Sakaria. The faces of people stranded on the streets looking out for a tent or a store awning to shield them from the water were filled with grief. It has been a long week, fraught with horrors. When one reaches such depths of despair, it might seem that nothing could make a difference -- yet the convoys of aid being sent in by 30 countries, 18 of them rolling in regularly, have proved one of the few strings that connect the survivors of the Turkish disaster to life.
The Egyptian government has sent the second largest emergency convoy to Turkey, an effort which began with a plane full of medicine, blankets and tents the afternoon after the earthquake shook the very foundations of that country. However, as Mahdi Fathallah, Egypt's ambassador to Turkey, told Al-Ahram Weekly, in a telephone interview: "The problem at hand is a real catastrophe, and it is horrible. Especially in Sakaria, where Egyptian aid has been focused, there is great destruction. In view of the damage, and also the strong and growing relations between our countries, Egypt was very keen on offering sufficient aid."
After the arrival of the first plane, follow-up action was taken in the form of highly specialised, well-equipped rescue teams that worked alongside the Turkish authorities in combing the rubble for survivors.
Possibly the most useful of the Egyptian efforts to date is the fully equipped 140-bed field hospital that has been set up at the Sakaria stadium. There, 30 doctors, working with translators to find out what ails their traumatised patients, do what they can. Six bakeries produce 9,000 loaves of bread daily for the hospital and camps, explained the Egyptian ambassador.
(photo: Khaled El-Fiqi)
A 500-tent camp and an additional hospital with a capacity of 50 beds were also being set up at press time.
The tenth Egyptian plane carrying emergency supplies to Turkey arrived at Istanbul airport on Monday, carrying a team of senior army officials headed by Maj. Gen. Mansour El-Hilbawi, chief of the Supply Department, Maj. Gen. Samir Farag, chief of the Department of Morale Affairs, and Maj. Gen. Effat Mahdi, chief of the Medical Services Department.
Journalists accompanying the team were impressed by the obvious esteem for the Egyptian relief effort expressed by everyone they met. "We were the only ones that were given two planes by the Turkish forces for our transportation," said Khaled El-Fiqi, Al Ahram photographer..
Ambassador Fathallah confirmed that "the reaction [of the Turkish people] reflected great appreciation of Egypt's efforts. On Turkish television, which screened interviews with passersby on the street, people expressed this sentiment. Also, we have received many telephone calls at the embassy as well as group letters from citizens of this country thanking Egypt for its support. Egyptian aid was characterised not only by its large volume but also by its speed and quality."
The seriousness with which Egyptians have taken their assistance to the Turkish people has been reflected at the highest level of government. "President Mubarak calls Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi [minister of defence] several times a day to follow up on the flow of Egyptian assistance to Turkey," said Farag.
Zaki Toshlow, the head of the local government in Sordophan, told reporters, "Our appreciation of the Egyptians cannot be expressed in words. Egypt was at the head of countries that came to our aid."
Brig. Gen. Youssri El-Akhras, chief of the relief and rescue forces, added that a pharmacy containing 15 tons of medication, as well as x-ray machines, a blood bank and labs were operational.
The future, for those hit by the quake, is bleak. The future of Egyptian support depends on developments on the ground. "What comes next will depend on what is needed. The requirements and the work that must be done are, of course, changing. First, there were people to be brought out alive from under the rubble. After eight days, that is no longer under consideration, but the area badly needs preventive medicine to protect its inhabitants against possible epidemics. Consequently, the type of assistance to be offered will change. We are in daily communication with the Turkish forces to find out what is required, and Egypt will respond immediately. You see, the catastrophe is truly horrible," concluded the ambassador.
