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CNN Live Today
Iran Earthquake
Aired December 31, 2003 - 10:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On to Iran now. American aid teams are part of the international effort to help victims of last week's devastating earthquake. In the five days since the quake struck, the death toll has now climbed to 30,000, and many of those who survived the disaster are packing up and trying to move on.
Ryan Chilcote joins us now from Bam, Iran, with the very latest -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredericka, 30,000 is an absolutely astonishing figure. That is the number of bodies according to the Iranian state media they have pulled from the rubble since that earthquake hit on Friday.
Now we have some aerial pictures of the city from above there, a bird's-eye view for you. You can see from the destruction, almost 90 percent of the buildings in this city were destroyed.
And quite sadly, the president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, said that the death toll could rise to as high as 50,000. They're still pulling bodies out of the wreckage as we speak.
There are about 1,000 aid workers from outside of Iran in this country right now, including a team from the United States that is setting up camp today. They're building a field hospital for the injured in this city. This could be a historic moment in U.S.-Iranian relations. It's the first time that a delegation like this has come from the United States to this country in more than two decades.
Now one thing that is new that we're seeing right now is a mass exodus from this city, people really leaving en masse. I visited one family today that miraculously made it through this earthquake. Their houses are still standing, including all 36 people that lived in it, were able to get out of it, during the earthquake, but they're too afraid to live in it now. They say it's not structurally sound, and they say there's no way to make a living here. So they're moving out of town like everyone else. They say they have some relatives outside of town who have a date farm. So they packed everything up on to a truck today, and they're moving there to hopefully begin a new life, they said -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Ryan Chilcote, thanks very much for that update. Let's get some more information on the relief efforts taking place in Iran.
We are joined on the phone by Bill Garvelink, the head of the USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART. Glad you could join us, Mr. Garvelink.
We've heard from Ryan's report from various aid agencies, as well as the U.S. military, everything from tents being erected to field hospitals. In what capacity is your group able to help the people in Iran?
BILL GARVELINK, USAID: We're trying to do a number of things. We have, or are in the process, even as we speak, of putting together a field hospital, which will be able to tend to the injured from the earthquake and respond to fill the gaps, because there are -- the three hospitals existed in Bam have been destroyed. So our field hospital will serve several purposes that it has. We have with us three pediatric doctors who will tend to the needs of children as well.
WHITFIELD: I'm sorry, and what about the potential strain on your organization or your relief and emergency aid workers, given that there are many aid groups that have decided to pull out, because so few survivor his been found. They kind of felt like their efforts were futile.
GARVELINK: Well, we're taking a bit of a different approach, and are focusing on the development of the medical capacity in the town. We are not focused on the search and rescue, but on the medical, and public health and water and sanitation and needs that will face the community and the coming weeks.
WHITFIELD: And describe for us the conditions that many survivors are strong endure. Freezing temperatures for one, correct?
GARVELINK: That's true. Living in the tents here as we are, we have's really strong appreciation for how cold and windy it is. We, obviously, have better facilities and we're very concerned about the families that are living in the tents with little bonfires in front of the houses that used to be their the place where they lived or along the roads, where they're living in tents, and we're very concerned that the cold weather will be very difficult for them.
WHITFIELD: And how about for you and other workers with USAID, where are you all staying, how are you all managing while trying to offer assistance to those in need?
GARVELINK: Well, we're at United Nations compound with a lot of other countries, and we have our tent set up, and I think we're quite comfortable.
GARVELINK: There is at least one, or maybe we can say four, glimmers of hope coming from yesterday. Iranian officials saying that four survivors were located in the rubble, four days, yesterday, after the devastating earthquake. Are you holding out hope that there might be a repeat, perhaps some other survivors that you could find today or even tomorrow?
GARVELINK: Well, that's very good news, that four survivors were found. I was not aware of that, and we're always hoping that we can find some, or you know, assist with the recovery of folks who are still in the rubble.
WHITFIELD: All right. Bill Garvelink, thanks very much for joining with us, with USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team, and continued best wishes in your efforts to help the thousands of people in Iran.
GARVELINK: Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 31, 2003 - 10:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On to Iran now. American aid teams are part of the international effort to help victims of last week's devastating earthquake. In the five days since the quake struck, the death toll has now climbed to 30,000, and many of those who survived the disaster are packing up and trying to move on.
Ryan Chilcote joins us now from Bam, Iran, with the very latest -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredericka, 30,000 is an absolutely astonishing figure. That is the number of bodies according to the Iranian state media they have pulled from the rubble since that earthquake hit on Friday.
Now we have some aerial pictures of the city from above there, a bird's-eye view for you. You can see from the destruction, almost 90 percent of the buildings in this city were destroyed.
And quite sadly, the president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, said that the death toll could rise to as high as 50,000. They're still pulling bodies out of the wreckage as we speak.
There are about 1,000 aid workers from outside of Iran in this country right now, including a team from the United States that is setting up camp today. They're building a field hospital for the injured in this city. This could be a historic moment in U.S.-Iranian relations. It's the first time that a delegation like this has come from the United States to this country in more than two decades.
Now one thing that is new that we're seeing right now is a mass exodus from this city, people really leaving en masse. I visited one family today that miraculously made it through this earthquake. Their houses are still standing, including all 36 people that lived in it, were able to get out of it, during the earthquake, but they're too afraid to live in it now. They say it's not structurally sound, and they say there's no way to make a living here. So they're moving out of town like everyone else. They say they have some relatives outside of town who have a date farm. So they packed everything up on to a truck today, and they're moving there to hopefully begin a new life, they said -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Ryan Chilcote, thanks very much for that update. Let's get some more information on the relief efforts taking place in Iran.
We are joined on the phone by Bill Garvelink, the head of the USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART. Glad you could join us, Mr. Garvelink.
We've heard from Ryan's report from various aid agencies, as well as the U.S. military, everything from tents being erected to field hospitals. In what capacity is your group able to help the people in Iran?
BILL GARVELINK, USAID: We're trying to do a number of things. We have, or are in the process, even as we speak, of putting together a field hospital, which will be able to tend to the injured from the earthquake and respond to fill the gaps, because there are -- the three hospitals existed in Bam have been destroyed. So our field hospital will serve several purposes that it has. We have with us three pediatric doctors who will tend to the needs of children as well.
WHITFIELD: I'm sorry, and what about the potential strain on your organization or your relief and emergency aid workers, given that there are many aid groups that have decided to pull out, because so few survivor his been found. They kind of felt like their efforts were futile.
GARVELINK: Well, we're taking a bit of a different approach, and are focusing on the development of the medical capacity in the town. We are not focused on the search and rescue, but on the medical, and public health and water and sanitation and needs that will face the community and the coming weeks.
WHITFIELD: And describe for us the conditions that many survivors are strong endure. Freezing temperatures for one, correct?
GARVELINK: That's true. Living in the tents here as we are, we have's really strong appreciation for how cold and windy it is. We, obviously, have better facilities and we're very concerned about the families that are living in the tents with little bonfires in front of the houses that used to be their the place where they lived or along the roads, where they're living in tents, and we're very concerned that the cold weather will be very difficult for them.
WHITFIELD: And how about for you and other workers with USAID, where are you all staying, how are you all managing while trying to offer assistance to those in need?
GARVELINK: Well, we're at United Nations compound with a lot of other countries, and we have our tent set up, and I think we're quite comfortable.
GARVELINK: There is at least one, or maybe we can say four, glimmers of hope coming from yesterday. Iranian officials saying that four survivors were located in the rubble, four days, yesterday, after the devastating earthquake. Are you holding out hope that there might be a repeat, perhaps some other survivors that you could find today or even tomorrow?
GARVELINK: Well, that's very good news, that four survivors were found. I was not aware of that, and we're always hoping that we can find some, or you know, assist with the recovery of folks who are still in the rubble.
WHITFIELD: All right. Bill Garvelink, thanks very much for joining with us, with USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team, and continued best wishes in your efforts to help the thousands of people in Iran.
GARVELINK: Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
