Armenia: Predicting the unpredictable - Oxfam

On the International Day for Disaster Reduction, Oxfam’s Helen Chapman relays stories from the survivors of the Spitak Earthquake, which struck Armenia in 1988, and finds out more on how Oxfam is helping vulnerable communities in Armenia prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

Transcript

The scars and ripple effects of the devastating Spitak earthquake, which struck the Armenian city of Gyumri back in 1988, are still prevalent today. More than 20 years after the quake, thousands of families, like Hakanush pictured, are still living in temporary containers and waiting for government provided homes. This image shows the ruined factory Hakanush used to work in - thousands of jobs and livelihoods were lost in the quake (and never recovered).

Armenia remains one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, and vulnerable to devastating earthquakes, regular landslides, mudflows and flooding. That’s why Armenia was chosen as this year’s location for dozens of rescue teams from all over the world to gather and take part in a three-day NATO simulation exercise. Oxfam and its partners observed emergency teams simulating all sorts of potential disaster responses, from multiple car crashes and collapsed buildings to chemical spills and earthquakes.

Together with our partners, we are sharing this knowledge and expertise with remote community groups in disaster prone areas. With our support, communities will be better prepared to respond at a grassroots levels, for the worst.

The survivor of the Spitak earthquake, pictured, stands outside his makeshift home. Like many survivors, he reminds us that natural disasters can strike without warning and may do so again.