Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit, announced that it is helping respond to a major earthquake that occurred in Turkey.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred early on Monday, Feb. 6 and had devastated the region.
Water Mission is deploying a disaster assistance response team to Turkey to evaluate emergency safe water, sanitation, and hygiene needs in the region. According to reports, the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks destroyed homes, buildings, and roads, leaving people trapped under the rubble. The earthquakes killed more than 3,400 people and injured thousands more.
“This is a region home to millions of people and there is the expectation that there will be thousands of internally displaced people seeking water, food, and shelter,” says George C. Green IV, Water Mission’s CEO and president. “In any crisis, the need for emergency safe water access is critical for survival and helping to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.”
Humanitarian standards group Sphere Standards stipulates that the minimum volume of water required for drinking and domestic hygiene per household in a disaster is 7.5 liters (1.98 gallons) per person per day. Water Mission is actively working to coordinate efforts with local government authorities and other aid organizations to exceed these disaster relief standards.
Over 2022, Water Mission has responded to disasters such as Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, flooding in Pakistan, and an ongoing response in Ukraine.
