Earthquake 6 February
On behalf of all our ISCoS community, we express our sadness and grave concerns following the devastation in Northern Syria and Southern Turkey from the February 6th earthquakes. Our support and thoughts are extended to all our colleagues, their
families and communities as the response and recovery efforts unfold.
Emergencies create enormous surge in immediate trauma care and rehabilitation needs, which includes managing those with new spinal injuries and citizens already
living with spinal cord conditions. Many of those affected are experiencing this disaster on top of war. The immediate and ongoing integration of essential SCI and rehabilitation services within the health services will be paramount to
optimizing outcomes.
ISCoS support the World Rehabilitation Alliance who call on all agencies involved to integrate the immediate and ongoing rehabilitation needs of survivors and those with pre-existing disabilities from the outset
- WRA statement.
It is thus essential that aid and response is coordinated with the respective national authorities and the international
leads for the response. ISCoS is collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) in supporting the coordination of efforts and are
in communication with our members directly affected. We remain prepared to contribute through these coordinated pathways with existing engagement of our Executive, Education and External Relations/Disasters Committees.
We encourage
our members around the world to please consider this emergency response guidance:
- Only travel to volunteer in the disaster zone if as part of an established NGO or Emergency Medical Team (EMT)
- Consider cash donations to established
organizations already in the regions, who are part of the coordinated efforts; ICRC and HI are scaling up their rehabilitation responses in Syria, and IFRC and MSF are escalating their medical responses in the region.
- Review the guidance resources
for disaster response to the Do’s and Don’ts and reports on ISCoS previous roles in similar events Poster A and Poster B
