Comparison of crisis management in Iran and Turkey
Considering that the earthquake in Turkey occurred in four major and densely populated cities, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) immediately dispatched forces to all affected areas for search and rescue operations, debris removal, and transferring the injured to hospitals.
AFAD asked the people in the earthquake-stricken areas to evacuate their homes and prepared safe places for them to stay, considering the cold weather.
In the aftermath of the earthquake in Khoi, only about a thousand tents without heating systems were provided for the affected people after 24 hours. This led to the death of several Iranian citizens due to gas poisoning and fires in some of the tents.
AFAD had previously introduced a mobile application to the Turkish people, which allows them to request assistance for themselves or their loved ones in emergencies by simply pressing a button.
These two incidents demonstrated that if people’s homes are located on a fault line but they have a functioning government, they have a better chance of survival compared to people whose homes are safe but lack proper governance.