Sinan Akdoğan - Berk Can Dereci (OMÜ İLEF Gazetecilik Bölümü)
Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) convened to discuss the aid campaigns to be launched within the university for the citizens affected by the earthquakes, the epicenter of which was Kahramanmaraş and which caused destruction in many cities.
Forty-four people, including Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Cengiz Batuk, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Başoğlu, Prof. Dr. Sevim Alışır, Prof. Dr. Selim Eren, Secretary General Prof. Dr. İdris Varıcı and members of the Senate, attended the online meeting chaired by Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal.
At the meeting, it was discussed what can be done for the citizens in the region after the severe earthquakes that caused the death, injury, and homelessness of many citizens in Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Diyarbakır, Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Malatya and Hatay.
Rector Yavuz Ünal stated that Türkiye woke up to a harrowing event and said, "First of all, my condolences to all of us. Many of our citizens lost their lives, and many of our citizens were affected by the earthquake. About 10 of our cities and citizens living there were affected materially and spiritually by the earthquake. I wish God's mercy on our lost citizens and a speedy recovery to our injured citizens. I convey my best wishes to our citizens who had a difficult time during the earthquake and in winter conditions. It's time to show our humanity as a nation."
Rector Ünal, who said that the 9-person OMU Search and Rescue Team, formed with the training given by the AFAD Provincial Directorate, reached the earthquake zone, stated that the team was first assigned to the Osmaniye earthquake region but then reassigned to the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş in line with the need. Rector Unal emphasized that the second search and rescue team to be formed as soon as possible will be sent to the region.
Rector Unal stated that they will coordinate with all the state institutions regarding the search and rescue activities to be carried out and with in-kind and cash aid. Rector Ünal, who stated that OMU will be with the citizens affected by the earthquake, took the following decisions together with the members of the senate who attended the meeting:
Within the scope of the campaign, necessary materials such as water, food, clothes, shoes, blankets, tents, heaters, lighting tools, and children's food will be received at the aid collection center established in the Sports Hall of Yaşar Doğu Sports Sciences Faculty. It was decided that the cash aid would be directed to the accounts announced by AFAD. In addition, a site will be created for our personnel who want to assist in kind, and help will be provided quickly from here.
Teams to be formed on a voluntary basis from faculty members, health personnel, administrative personnel, and students from OMU Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Social Work, and Psychology departments will be sent to the earthquake zone. In this direction, necessary work will be started immediately, and the personnel in charge will be sent to the region with health equipment.
Within the framework of the blood donation campaign initiated by the Turkish Red Crescent Samsun Branch, a Blood Donation tent was set up in a region to be determined within the campus for the staff and students who would like to donate blood. The blood donations collected within the scope of the campaign will be sent to the requesting disaster areas.
To support the coordination in the earthquake region, AFAD is contacting Samsun Governor Zülkif Dağlı, who was assigned to the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş, and it is planned to deliver the aid and the needs identified by the citizens to the earthquake region under the coordination of the governorship.
In addition, it was decided to contact the units related to the students in the earthquake zone. The make-up exams and student selection exams for the graduate education programs, which should be held as of February 6, 2023, have been postponed to February 20-21-22, 2023, due to the extraordinary situation. We invite students in need to contact our Rectorate via afet.bilgi@omu.edu.tr.
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