Earthquake Relief — The U.S. Medical Response in Bam, Iran

The magnitude-6.6 earthquake in Bam, Iran, struck at 5:26 a.m. local time on December 26, 2003, while most people were asleep in their homes. It destroyed much of the city. The human and physical devastation was staggering, with 41,000 people presumed to be dead, tens of thousands injured, and nearly all survivors among the original 100,000 inhabitants left homeless. The international response was swift and considerable: ultimately, more than 40 international teams provided search and rescue services, while the Iranians coordinated the evacuation effort locally and nationally. Everyone worked together, motivated not by politics, but by the need to help. . . .