As we all know, two powerful earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on 6 February, 2023. Today we’d like to talk about one component that’s often overlooked -interpreters and to take this moment to appreciate and recognize their hard work.
Since the very beginning of the disaster, rescue teams from all around the world have been helping in the area day and night, saving the lives of thousands and bringing hope to millions. But one problem they’ve been facing is the language barrier.
For the past week, interpreters played a crucial role in ensuring clear and effective communication between those providing aid and support, and those in need of it. Interpreters, mainly those who were trained to provide aid at disasters, helped build the language gap between the teams as well as victims. The lack of understanding and confusion between the people in the region have been minimized thanks to their endless efforts. They worked hard to ensure that everyone had a clear understanding of what is being communicated and could respond accordingly.
In the case of the recent earthquake in Turkey, there are also individuals from a variety of linguistic backgrounds in need of aid. Several of our interpreter colleagues helped ensure that these individuals received the support they needed, whether it be medical assistance, food, or shelter and provided emotional support to those in need in a time when it can be overwhelming and frightening for individuals who are unable to communicate in their native language.
So as the TTC wetranslate family, we’d like to give a round of applause to our interpreter colleagues for all their help in the disaster zone – and also in the planning part background – and let them know that their hard work has not gone unnoticed. We are all so proud to be part of the same community as you are.
