Tzu Chi relief team arrives in Kerman
to assess extent of Iran quake damage
BAM, Iran-In response to the
devastating earthquake that struck Bam, Iran last Friday,
Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation's relief team of volunteers
arrived in the province of Kerman on December 29. On December
30, the team will enter Bam to assess damages and begin relief
efforts.
Within forty-eight hours of this catastrophic earthquake,
a team of Tzu Chi volunteers and two medical personnel from
Taiwan, Jordan and Turkey, was formed and ready. Relief materials
were prepared, which consisted of twelve cases of medical
supplies, one hundred first aid kits, and 12,000 blankets
to be transported by military aircraft from Jordan. Also prepared
were 300 sleeping bags, 500 boxes of vegetarian canned food,
and other emergency supplies donated by the Hashemite Jordan
Charity Organization, HAJCO.
The team arrived at Tehran International Airport at 4 a.m.
on the 29th and immediately transferred to the quake-hit regions
in Kerman. There were several Iranian university students
waiting at the airport, wishing to fly to Bam to assist their
fellow countrymen. Since all planes to Kerman were full, these
students could only continue to wait. Before our team of volunteers
boarded, they handed a bag of candies with the utmost sincerity
to our volunteers, hoping that our volunteers could hand these
candies to the kids in disaster areas on their behalf. Their
kindness truly touched our volunteers, and thus our team promised
these young men that we would deliver their love to the quake
victims.
Arriving in Kerman by noon, the team of Tzu Chi volunteers
went to the Iranian Red Crescent office and two public hospitals
to learn about the current need for relief supplies and medicine.
The team will go to Bam to inspect the damages and to assess
possibilities for reconstruction in the disaster regions.
In addition, the team will be distributing relief materials
and providing medical services according to the local needs.
The founder of Tzu Chi Foundation, Master Cheng Yen, remains
deeply concerned for the disaster victims in Iran. In a speech
to volunteers in Taizhong, Taiwan on the December 30, Master
Cheng Yen spoke of the earthquake and her heartache over the
severity of the disaster. Master recalled the September 21
quake that struck Taiwan four years ago, and what a long and
difficult journey it has been to overcome that hardship. Though
Tzu Chi's relief team has arrived in Iran with limited manpower
and supplies, it is our hope to deliver our care into the
hands of the victims in a most timely fashion. We do not know
how long we shall accompany them through this journey of recovery,
but for as long as they need our help, we will continue to
motivate and gather the kindness of people around the world
to help the people of Iran.
