TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After the strongest earthquake in a century rocked Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, Taiwan deployed 130 search and rescue specialists and five dogs to search for survivors.

AKUT Search and Rescue Association Chairwoman Zeynep Yosun Akverdi spoke via video conference with CNA, expressing gratitude to Taiwan rescuers and their high morale despite the demanding conditions. Her organization, AKUT, is a Turkish NGO specifically devoted to disaster search and rescue.

Akverdi said AKUT was still a small NGO in August 1999 when an earthquake struck Izmit, Turkey, killing 18,000 people. AKUT’s involvement in this earthquake gave her team valuable experience which it would apply to its next mission: Taiwan’s 921 earthquake in 1999.

On that mission, the Turkish government formed a 36-person search and rescue team, 17 of which were AKUT members. Upon arriving in Taiwan on Sept. 22, 1999, the team completed their first rescue, discovering a survivor 50 hours after the earthquake.

Devastating effects of Turkey's Feb. 6 earthquake. (CNA photo)

AKUT is self-funded with 3,000 volunteers, raising its own budget for search and rescue operations. Akverdi thanked Taiwan for donations which will be used to establish two training centers, one near Istanbul and another in southern Turkey.

After the training centers are completed, AKUT plans to also hold joint training exercises with Taiwan's search and rescue team. Both Taiwan and Turkey share a history of devastating natural disasters, with the possibility of more occurring in the future.

Akverdi said earthquakes by their very nature cannot be predicted, so preparation is necessary. Although Taiwan's building code is rigorous, which leads to safer structures, more can still be done when it comes to training.

Public education is also important, according to Akverdi, elucidating that more than 90% of search and rescue operations are completed by residents prior to the arrival of rescue crews. Therefore, first aid education and earthquake rescue techniques should be taught to the general public.

Turkish NGO thanks Taiwan for sending a search and rescue team. (CNA photo)

As for ongoing aid, the pace of rebuilding is slow as many NGOs are still working to stabilize current conditions for the remaining survivors.

Currently, Tzu Chi is still operating in the disaster-stricken areas of Hatay and Gaziantep, providing supplies to more than 4,000 families. Tzu Chi volunteer Faisal Hu (胡光中) says the organization is distributing aid to the neediest and most vulnerable based upon a list provided by the Turkish government.

Nearly a month after the relief, Hu says the biggest challenge is simply locating people on the government assistance list. Hu conveyed that many survivors may have traveled to nearby communities less affected by the disaster, such as Adana and Sanliurfa.

As for the next stage of disaster aid, Hu said Tzu Chi will continue to give out blankets and stored value cards to earthquake survivors.