Mercy Corps Meeting Immediate Needs, Addressing Long-Term Concerns of Bam's Residents

Photo: Robert Kellett/Mercy Corps

One month after a devastating earthquake leveled this ancient town in southeastern Iran, there remain massive emergency and long-term concerns for the more than 70,000 people left homeless and living in tents and makeshift shelters.

Among the most pressing humanitarian issues is the need for more and better sanitation, especially in the coming months when temperatures in the desert will rise well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40C).

"The increased heat and the insufficient number of latrines is a real cause for concern," said Pete Sweetnam, Mercy Corps Global Emergency Officer. "Improper waste disposal significantly heightens the risk for the spread of disease. There is a definite urgency to create more latrines and improve the disposal systems."

Mercy Corps is coordinating with partner relief organizations to acquire and install more latrines throughout the city. Initially, Mercy Corps will construct 250 latrines. That number could grow to as many as 1,000 in the next few months. Each facility will be used by anywhere from an individual family to as many as 30 people.

In addition to working to meet emergency needs such as sanitation, Mercy Corps is also developing programs that will help the people of Bam to restore their livelihoods. With their work tools lying under the rubble and their workspaces in ruins, it is difficult for skilled craftsman and female entrepreneurs such as seamstresses to return to work.

"The people we have talked with all say that they are eager to return to work and would do so tomorrow if they could. But they don't have the money to replace their equipment and they don't have a safe environment in which to work," said Shadi Kian, a Mercy Corps program officer who has performed a number of community assessments throughout Bam.

Mercy Corps is meeting with community representative to develop plans to create a communal work center where people skilled craftsman and female entrepreneurs would have access to equipment and be able to work.

By targeting individuals whose skills are in high demand right now, the program will both help people return to work and provide valuable services to community.