Life after the earthquake in Diyarbakir

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While one-year-old Mert was looking at our camera, it was snowing. His lips are purple from the cold and his face is red.

Mert is one of the residents of Diyarbakir who lives on the streets. According to the Cooperation Platform for Urban Protection, more than 200 thousand people live outside their homes.

Some of them live in trains, some in cars, some in hotels, and some in schools. It is estimated that more than half of the urban residents (500 thousand) have moved to urban villages.

After the earthquake in Diyarbakır, more than 20 houses were destroyed, but many houses were damaged and citizens did not dare to return to their homes. 80 tents have been pitched in Kosuyolu park. I was also there the other night. According to the citizens, only one meal went to them in the morning. (a bowl of soup and two pieces of bread). At 10 o’clock it was given again.

Mert’s family is not so lucky to have a tent. It is snowing and the wind is blowing like a human body.

Marti’s mother covered them with a tent, but it was not enough to cover all sides.

Aid is coming but it is not spread in fair

Citizens are providing aid. When we went today, two cars of citizens brought blankets and wood.

Sevda Kaya says there is no grave for her child. Her two children are under a blanket. They want to get another blanket, but every time help comes, some people get it all on the way and never get around to it. She pointed to her daughter.

“We don’t even have a grave to bury our daughter in.”

“My daughter is a patient of SMA. Her infection increased and we took her to the hospital. Food is coming for the adults but the children are hungry. I asked mama.

It only came in a small box. Sevda’s family lives in the back of a car with 3 other families.

I heard my daughter’s voice!

“My grandson Harun is 4 years old. Save him!” Ayse Batuhan started to speak with these words.

It is the third day of the earthquake. It’s very cold outside. A fire has been made and everyone has gathered around it.

Her wife, son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren live in this building.

The noise is coming from the building for three days, but the number of survivors is low. There is no way to get rid of them yet. On the third day, there were only two votes.

A woman said from behind, “one of those screams was my daughter’s scream. These ears heard her cry twice. We can’t do anything. Helplessness is very heavy.”

Ayse Batuhan said:

I have been here for three days. We came from Siirt. I see the bad things in my son’s house and I have patience. I can’t leave this place. But the government doesn’t even give us a tent. Few are responsible for removing evil. We went to the mosque at night and the cleric took gas. We left there because of the cold.”

In some bakeries, bread has increased from 7 TL to 15 TL. When it was night, we drove around the city. The city of more than a million people is empty. The dim light of the house was visible from the window.

According to official numbers, until now 312 persons dead in Diyarbakir.

This news was translated by Yonca Sarsilmaz

Ji ber krîza aborî ti xebatkarên daîmî yên Botan Timesê nînin. Murat Bayram bi dildarî weşanê didomîne. Heger hûn bixwazin em li ser pêyan bimînin piştgirîya me bikin. Ji bo piştgirîyê bibin abone. Ji 200 hezar xwendevanên me û 5 hezar şopînerên qenala me ya YouTubeyê li ser hev 500 kes bibin abone em dikarin li ser pêyan bimînin.