A Scot spearheading the UK Government’s humanitarian response to the Turkey and Syria earthquake says the devastation is worse than any war zone he’s ever worked in. Erlend Linklater has regularly faced danger in conflict-hit countries including Afghanistan, Colombia and Sudan during his career as an aid worker.
But the 48-year-old has told how the killer 7.8 magnitude earthquake earlier this year did more damage in 80 seconds than cities flattened by months of military bombing. Selkirk-born Erlend – a Humanitarian Advisor with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) – said: “I’ve worked in a lot of fragile conflict areas and what I’ve seen in some parts of Turkey looks like a war zone.
“What blows your mind is that the power of the earthquake has literally turned some buildings to dust. I’ve worked for a number of years in live conflicts with plenty of shooting and bombing going on but in terms of the impact emotionally, this is one of the hardest things I’ve had to work on.”
