Women sit outside their tent sent by China as emergency aid in the centre of Kahramanmaras, on March 4, 2023, one month after a massive earthquake struck south-east Turkey. AFP/Representational photo
Ankara: It has been a month since a devastating earthquake in Turkey left more than 50,000 people dead. But even after a month, many survivors have found accommodation on the streets owing to the threat that the dilapidated buildings pose.
At least 1.5 million people in Turkey are now homeless with no guarantee of finding a roof above their heads in the near future, according to BBC.
Turkish Disaster Agency Afad has reported that around two million people have already left the earthquake zone with some living elsewhere in the country with their friends and loved ones. Additionally, trains and flights have been made available for those who want to leave.
People living on streets
Meanwhile, some survivors refuse to leave their places of residence.
One such survivor is Songul Yucesoy who lives in the town of Samandag with her family. The Yucesoy family is now living on the street right beside the ruins of their home.
“This is very important for us. Whatever happens next – even if the house falls down – we will stay here. This is our home, our nest. Everything we have is here. We are not going to leave,” Songul told BBC.
The family is living in three tents just a few steps away from the rubble of what once used to be their home. They have carefully placed some of their furniture on the street and sleep and cook there.
Although there is no access to a bathroom, the family has tried to construct a wooden makeshift shed which they use as a toilet.
Hundreds still need adequate shelter
A United Nations official said on Monday that hundreds of thousands of people in Turkey still require adequate shelter and sanitation.
The official further said that only 10 per cent of an appeal of $1 billion to assist earthquake survivors has been funded till now.
Since the 6 February earthquake, about two million people have been housed in temporary shelters. Out of this, 1.5 million people have been settled in tents while another 46,000 have been moved to container houses, according to government figures.
“Given the number of people that have been relocated, given the number of people that have been injured and given the level of the devastation, we do have extensive humanitarian needs now,” Alvaro Rodriguez, the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkey, told The Associated Press.
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