Teams specialized in urban search and rescue from São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo arrived early this Friday (10th) in Ankara, Turkey (Thursday night, in Brazil), to work in locating and supporting victims of earthquakes that hit the region earlier this week.
The landing was originally scheduled to take place in Adana, but due to overcrowding at the airport, the aircraft was directed to Ankara, about 520 kilometers away, and is awaiting clearance to proceed to Adana.
The Brazilian mission is commanded by the National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense of the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development. CNN accompanies the entourage at the invitation of the Brazilian Air Force.
The mission includes 22 specialists from the São Paulo State Military Police Fire Brigade, two military doctors, two members of the São Paulo Civil Defense, six specialists from the Minas Gerais Military Fire Brigade and six from the Espírito Santo Military Fire Brigade. Holy.
The professionals who are in Turkey have experience in search and rescue actions in landslides, landslides and fires. Part of the team acted in the tragedies of Mariana and Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais, and in international humanitarian aid missions to Haiti and Mozambique.
The entourage left Guarulhos airport (SP) around 6 am this Thursday aboard the KC-30 cargo aircraft, from Força Aérea Brasília. In addition to search and rescue specialists, the aircraft also carried sniffer dogs and about 10 tons of medicine and supplies.
Also during the flight, Rafael Pereira Machado, coordinator of Integrated Studies at the National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense, explained to CNN that the main objective of the Brazilian mission is to strengthen the work of the teams that are working in rescue actions.
The mission will remain in Turkey, in principle, for 14 days, but its duration will depend on the situation that the team will encounter in the places most affected by the earthquakes.
“Eventual intercurrences may produce some variation in this initial planning. But the main focus is rescue action and this mission is prepared to operate for 14 days in the region”, says Machado.
“We are going there knowing that we are going to an extremely sad scenario, where we are going to try to give back to some families a little warmth and tranquility”, says First Lieutenant Danilo Cesar de Oliveira, from the São Paulo Fire Department. Paul.
The Brazilian teams will face some challenges, such as low temperatures, possible new earthquakes, difficulty with security, mobility and installation of the operational base in the province of Hatay — one of the most destroyed by earthquakes.
The work goes through a political articulation that includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Turkish federal and local governments, and members of international forces that are already in the region, such as the UN.
“This mission represents national unity, a Brazilian effort to provide support actions to the population that suffered and was so impacted by the earthquake. An action led by the federal government, but which has the essential support of the states that are part of the mission and which are providing some of their best professionals, more specialized in rescue skills”, says Machado.
The Brazilian mission arrives in Turkey amidst criticism from Erdogan’s opponents and residents of the hardest-hit areas regarding an alleged delay in the government’s response and lack of preparation to deal with earthquakes.
How the government deals with the tragedy will have an impact on the parliamentary and presidential elections that take place on May 14. The assessment in the region is that this year’s election will be Erdogan’s biggest test in the 20 years he has been at the head of government.
On Wednesday, the Turkish president admitted that the government had faced some difficulty in dealing with the earthquakes, but said the situation was under control.
Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in the country. The move allows the president to quickly adopt financial and security measures in earthquake-hit areas.
Source: CNN Brasil
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