Malteser help traumatised children

Malteser Germany: People in Bam are still suffering from the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake that struck the town one year ago. Peter Staudacher, Malteser programme coordinator in Bam states that ‘children in particular remain traumatised. Many lost either one or both parents over night and, in addition, had to realise that their playmates and friends and are no longer alive’. Malteser Germany (Foreign Aid Department) – Germany

Cologne/Bam – People in Bam are still suffering from the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake that struck the town one year ago. Peter Staudacher, Malteser programme coordinator in Bam states that ‘children in particular remain traumatised. Many lost either one or both parents over night and, in addition, had to realise that their playmates and friends and are no longer alive’. He further notes that ‘their mental and emotional well being caved in like the town’s buildings.’ Malteser Germany looks after these children in collaboration with a local youth organisation. Games, support programmes and therapy sessions are destined to comfort them.

Malteser’s involvement in the reconstruction of the first primary school is a further sign of hope. ‘As lessons had to be given in makeshift containers erected by us up until now, this construction will allay an important sense of stability in a region still devastated by the earthquake’. Together with local relief organisations, Malteser Germany also helps traumatised women, offering workshops and training in the fields of management and organisation.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in the early morning hours of 26 December 2003, Malteser Germany arrived in Bam equipped with a squadron of emergency rescue dogs to search for survivors. Numerous emergency provisions of medicines and medical equipment were forwarded to Bam for a total of 30,000 people.

Staudacher stresses that ‘we are grateful for the 1.5 million Euros in donations that we received over the past year for the continuation of our work in Bam. With these funds we aim to strengthen the population’s capacity for self-help’. Staudacher adds that ‘it is in this sense that all the damage produced by the earthquake can be overcome in the long term’.

Malteser Germany remains dependent on donations for the continuation of its work in Iran. Malteser Spendenkonto 120 120 120 Deutsche Bank 24, BLZ 370 700 24 Reference “Erdbeben Iran”