"Relief From All Corners of the World"

Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps.

Sitting in front of a laptop in a tent more than halfway around the world, I am struck by just how interconnected our world is at times. I am working in Mercy Corps’ “office,” which is a large tent we share with our colleagues from Peace Winds Japan on the midfield line of Bam’s soccer field. This is where relief workers from all corners of the world have put up tents to serve as their base of operations. At any moment during the day, one hears French, Arabic, Farsi, English, Japanese and languages the world over being spoken.

In the air there is the constant humming of a gas generator that provides electricity for our tent. Hanging above two plastic tables (our desks) are a pair of lonely looking light bulbs, which draw attention to themselves only when they are set into motion by the occasional aftershock – a daily reminder that there is indeed a fault line under this land. Despite these rather basic work conditions, I am able to email with colleagues in Portland, Scotland and Mercy Corps offices around the world through a remarkable satellite device that is slightly larger than a notebook. I learned this morning that even in Bam one can receive spam!

At night, the Mercy Corps team stays in a hotel about 10km outside of town. It is one of the few hotels in the area that is left standing. Just one month ago Bam was one of Iran’s more popular tourist destinations with visitors from around the world coming to see the Arg-e-Bam, a citadel that stood the test of time for more than two thousand years. The citadel and tourist infrastructure are in ruins and we are lucky to be staying in our hotel sleeping four to a room instead of living in a tent.

In addition to tourism, Bam is well-known for its wonderfully delicious dates, which are exported to countries throughout the region. Dense pockets of palm trees kept alive by underground springs dot the city, lending a certain degree of exoticism to the scene and providing color to an otherwise brown environment. The trees have largely escaped damage, but the same cannot be said about the complex irrigation systems that have helped produce sweet tasting dates for centuries. These too will need to be repaired in order for Bam’s economy to recover to where it once was before the quake. So much needs to be done. Where to even begin?

In the coming days Mercy Corps will be distributing more hygiene kits to families throughout the city. A distribution of underwear is also planned and is much anticipated by almost everyone with whom I have talked. It is difficult to even comprehend how something as simple as new underwear can make such a difference in a person’s comfort, but in a place where people have lost so much so quickly its value is almost priceless.

Plans and discussions are also well underway to implement projects that will help skilled laborers and female entrepreneurs to quickly return to work. Men and women are eager to work again, but almost all lack tools and a proper workplace. A Mercy Corps team is working with community members to see what role we might be able to play in this area. These are small, but necessary steps on the road to recovery.