(Vancouver) The Turkish-Canadian Society is calling for a change in the way Canadian relief teams are deployed following a disaster abroad.
Sina Kutluay, a member of the group, particularly regrets that only one team from Canada was sent to Turkey and Syria following the violent earthquake which claimed the lives of more than 33,000 people this week.
The news that the urban search and rescue team from Burnaby, British Columbia, is the only Canadian team involved in the relief operations in Turkey has demoralized the Turkish-Canadian group.
The Turkish consulate in Vancouver has indicated that the deadline for the deployment of another team has passed.
“Due to paperwork and logistical issues, they weren’t able to get there in time,” Kutluay said of other federal government rescue teams.
It’s not normal to take so long to ask permission. You have to get to the scene quickly to start digging through the rubble and rescuing people. I believe that the processes will have to be reviewed after this experience.
Sina Kutluay, member of the Turkish-Canadian Society
CBC showed footage of Canadian rescuers being thanked and hugged by Turkish colleagues, moments after a woman was rescued in the town of Adiyaman on Friday.
The British Columbia team said in a Facebook post on Saturday that they remained on the ground in the southeastern Turkish town looking for other “victims still trapped in collapsed houses”.
Mr. Kutluay said he was very grateful to the team for their work, since “every life matters”.
“I’m sure they will be able to save even more people, because there are still people, including children, who are found alive under the collapsed buildings,” a week after the earthquake.
Federal authorities have not given the official go-ahead for any relief teams after Monday’s quake, which killed thousands, but Canada sent a disaster assessment team to the region on Wednesday and pledged 10 million in emergency financial assistance.
“This contribution will support emergency medical services and provide shelter, food and other essential items,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement on Tuesday.
Canada will also match every donation made to the Canadian Red Cross for Turkey and Syria through February 22, up to $10 million.
Kutluay said the company is now focusing on coordinating donations and supporting community members who lost family or friends in the earthquake.
“We are trying to find affected students studying in Canada. We would like to find them, reach them and coordinate their support in the coming days,” he said.