Construction is underway in Turkey on housing for people left homeless by the earthquakes exactly two months ago.
About 2.5 million people are still living in tents.
The February 6 quakes killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and around 6,000 in neighboring Syria.
In Turkey, more than 50,000 buildings were destroyed or will have to be demolished. The government converted shipping containers into temporary housing, but it was only enough to accommodate 70,000 people.
The government is planning to build public housing units for about 320,000 households within a year.
In the Mediterranean coastal city of Iskenderun, demolition teams have been using heavy machinery to dismantle buildings. People can be seen searching the rubble for items that belonged to deceased family members.
Authorities are still trying to restore the water supply.
A 20-year-old woman who is now homeless and seven months pregnant told NHK that there is an acute shortage of makeshift toilets and says she is worried about catching infectious diseases.
A 31-year-old woman said she is hoping to move to a container soon, because her tent is too vulnerable to the weather and too hot to stay in during the day.
Housing is the big issue
NHK World’s Sano Yoshitaka sent a report from the city of Adana in southern Turkey.
“Heavy machinery is still being used to clear rubble here. It will be a long time before they can consider rebuilding. Housing is a big issue here. Temperatures dropped right after the quakes, leaving many out in the cold. But now it’s getting warmer, and the tents absorb heat. I have seen many people choosing to stay outside. And things will only get worse. During the summer, temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius.”
Turkish elections looming
Turkey will hold presidential and parliamentary elections next month. Survivors say they hope candidates will prioritize reconstruction.
UNICEF: Children in need
Nemoto Mioh, deputy representative of UNICEF’s Syria office, told NHK that children in the area are showing symptoms of psychosocial distress. He says some are struggling to sleep, and children as old as 10 are wetting the bed.
The disaster killed about 6,000 people in Syria and left more than 12,000 injured. Many children are now living in shelters.
UNICEF says the quakes damaged more than 2,500 schools in the country. Several are being used as shelters. The organization has set up temporary learning spaces in them.
“The best way to support children after disasters like the earthquakes is to give them a sense of normality,” says Nemoto. “Reintroduce them to the activities they used to engage in, such as playing with friends and learning in school alongside their peers.”
Source : NHK WORLD – JAPAN
