Earthquake

After: recover

First days

• Expect aftershocks. Follow official warnings (general practice, check locally).
• Check whether anything fell on your animals.
• Check that water is not dirty, and test well water (general practice, check locally).
• Get pumps and irrigation checked before you switch them on again (general practice, check locally).
• Tell your family and workers about new dangers, like cracked walls (general practice, check locally).
• Animals without a barn are out in the cold. Feed and vet care come first.
• Take photos with date, time and place of every damaged building and animal.

First weeks

• Don't sell injured animals in a panic for a fraction of their value if a vet can treat them (lesson from Türkiye 2023).
• After the 2023 Türkiye earthquake, farmers needed feed, vet care, vaccines and cash for 1 to 3 months. Plan for those.
• Dead animals: never sell or eat meat from an animal that died of an unknown cause. Ask the district vet what to do with the body.

Money and help

• Write down every call (date, name) and follow up in writing. A local commission assesses damage; your photos make your case.
• Claim on your home insurance at the State Insurance Organization office in your town or ayil okmotu. After the 2017 Chong-Alai earthquake, the Emergencies Ministry gave 550 tents, the EU helped through the Red Crescent, and ACTED rebuilt houses.