Phase 2

The second team arrived safely in Adana, Turkey on February 23^rd (by plane and van – from Thessaloniki, to also transfer supplies and equipment). The second group immediately started activities with children, in the Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) that have been set up, in collaboration with the Turkish organisation SGDD-ASAM. The team implements a daily structured program of recreational and educational activities as well as continuous on-the-ground capacity building for the local organisation which will continue operating the spaces once the SN mission ends.

In detail:

• In crisis situations, adults – and especially males – dominate the living spaces established for survivors. They attempt to find practical solutions for their new reality, and at the same time scramble to process their personal and family trauma. Children, whose everyday routine and education are abruptly interrupted, are often left in an unstructured and unfamiliar environment. As a result, they are exposed to potential dangers (playing among the rubble, exposure to sexual and gender-based violence…); at the same time, they are deprived of the space and time to process their recent traumatic experience. The situation in Antakya was no exception. In this situation, one of the chief emergency needs is the establishment of Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS), operated by personnel experienced in child protection, to provide children with the safety, structure, and emotional outlet they need. SolidarityNow’s field team was deployed, and partnered with SGDD-ASAM, to provide exactly that.
• SolidarityNow staff members were present on a daily basis in three tent camps established for the earthquake-affected population, all within the Antakya metropolitan area. Upon the arrival of the second group, the physical setup of tents to host the Child-Friendly Spaces was complete in each of the three camps. The children of the camps were already visiting the CFS on a daily basis, where SGDD-ASAM and SolidarityNow staff welcomed them, and led them to play and socialize in a safe space, made for and dominated by children only.
• Among the first priorities of the SN team was to provide on-the-ground capacity building to SGDD-ASAM, capitalizing on SN’s experience in providing child protection, and especially on operating Child-Friendly Spaces, in camp settings – an environment SGDD-ASAM had little familiarity with. SolidarityNow provided practical tips for safety & security, spatial organization, child protection considerations, and, most importantly, creative ideas for activities! Gradually, a daily routine was established in all three CFS, including structured psychoeducational activities, as well as free play. The talents and experiences of SN and SGDD-ASAM staff were used to formulate the activities, which included using music, drawing, storytelling, dance & kinetic activities, and outdoor group games to address several psychoeducational goals: help children establish safe boundaries, strengthen the team spirit, express their positive and negative emotions, and slowly begin processing the trauma from the earthquakes and their new living conditions. Of course, the common thread of the activities was to allow the children to have fun together!
• Among the highlights of the activities was an interactive session on earthquake awareness, led by an SN team member who studied geology: the activity focused on explaining the earthquake’s causes (and fighting the disinformation spreading in camps), as well as providing practical tips on self-protection.
• SN team continues to closely collaborate with SGDD-ASAM which will continue the intervention upon completion of the mission. SN will support their capacity building, transferring its long-standing experience and leave relevant items and equipment in this regard.
• SN team participates in the coordination meetings with the local authorities and international organisations on the ground on a daily basis.
• A need has been identified for hygiene kits for the local population, and specifically for women living in further away, rural areas, where support and goods don’t easily reach. SN will be purchasing sanitary pads, soaps, antiseptics, toothpastes and toothbrushes, toilet paper and baby wipes.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Phase 1

• SN establishes collaboration with the local authorities, international organisations, and the Turkish organisation SGDD – ASAM, one of the main humanitarian actors on the ground.
• Our expertise in child protection in similar situations is identified, and our teams are called upon to support and build the capacity of other organisations in this regard.
• On February 20^th, our team starts working to set up and operate Child-Friendly Spaces in the camps in collaboration with SGDD – ASAM, while team members contribute to the creative occupation of children, sharing their know-how from the long-term involvement in children’s psycho-educational programs. Actions that include sports and various creative activities are carried out in collaboration.
• On Thursday, February 23^rd, a second team of 8 people – psychologists, educators, social workers, and an interpreter, join the team expanding the work and support provided.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

The team’s 1st day was exploratory aiming at the purchase of basic supplies (food, fuel). The team members settled in the camp where the members of international and local humanitarian organizations stay temporarily. The reception of the team by the Turkish authorities, foreign rescue groups, and the Turkish humanitarian aid organization SGDD-ASAM was particularly warm.

The SN team made a first assessment of the situation in Antakya:

• The center of Antakya has been leveled.
• There is a strong need for safe spaces for children and women.
• One of the team’s next priorities is to locate space to explore where such an intervention by SolidarityNow could be set up.
• By moving the debris, dozens of bodies are often revealed.
• Survivors’ need for psychological support is urgent.
• The team contacts the authorities and organizations operating in the field, creating a coordination network to plan the next actions.

The images reflect the extent of the destruction. Solidarity is the driving force of all.