Over 206,000 tents set up in quake zone

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

More than 206,000 tents have been set up for the victims of the two deadly earthquakes that rattled the country’s 10 provinces.

The total number of search and rescue personnel working in the region is 35,495, while the number of foreign personnel who came from abroad to support search and rescue efforts reached 9,793.

Vice President Fuat Oktay stated that the number of personnel working in the 10 provinces affected by the earthquake, including search and rescue teams and health workers, has reached 238,459.

With temperatures dropping to minus degrees at night, shelter and heating have become a grave matter of concern for earthquake victims who are dealing with a lack of basic necessities.

Accordingly, 206,357 tents and more than 2 million blankets were sent to 10 provinces by Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), the Family and Social Services Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Youth and Sports Ministry, the Turkish Red Crescent and international organizations.

A total of 334 mobile kitchens, 86 catering vehicles, 33 mobile ovens and 252 service vehicles were also mobilized for earthquake victims.

Volunteers stand in solidarity

Apart from the relief and shelter supplies, many volunteers from all over the country are working in the earthquake-hit region.

One of them, engineer Yasin Mercan, has been working for earthquake victims in Hatay, where the most severe destruction of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes occurred.

“I couldn’t just sit at home after the earthquake. I and my four people arrived here with phyllo. Our backs hurt as we are making patties almost non-stop. There is an infirmary near us, we are getting injections to be able to stand,” Mercan explained.

A businessperson from the Black Sea province of Rize also sent six prefabricated houses of 12 square meters to the region three days after the deadly earthquakes.

Onur Yıldız, who brought the houses to the Antakya district on behalf of the businessperson, said, “We started preparing the houses immediately after the earthquake, and we set them up on the third day with the earthquake victims. More to come. We can heal these wounds with solidarity.”

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University has been providing three meals daily to 2,500 people with its team of 20 people in the disaster area since the second day of the earthquake.

One of them is Bilal Karasakal, a lecturer who serves soup in the region. “Today is the day of unity. That’s all we can do for now. Solidarity is very important,” he said.

While sergeant Belkıs Şahiner plays with children to motivate them in the tent city in Malatya, theater actor Ömer Konakçı tries to boost the morale of children in the quake zone with his Nasreddin Hodja costume and performs plays.