The earthquake in the Turkish-Syrian border region has already claimed more than 35,000 lives. Unscrupulous builders have been jailed, but further unrest looms – but babies have been saved. The “Krone” is on site.
After often wandering around for days and spending the night outside or in emergency shelters, more and more refugees are now arriving from the earthquake zone in western Turkey. About the brothers Adnan and Yildirim; they spent two freezing nights in the car with their families and finally found shelter with relatives in the region around Karaman: “Our houses in Adana are destroyed, we don’t know where to go. But now we have a roof over our heads again. We can’t go back, the situation is too chaotic,” said former police officer Yildirim.
Now protests threaten
The chaos after the earthquake in the south-east of the country – with more than 35,000 deaths at the moment – could soon have even more consequences, the refugee duo say in an interview with “Krone”: “My daughter is a university professor. Now, however, it is homeschooling until the summer. According to her colleagues, this should only serve to limit the risk of student protests. But you will hardly be able to prevent that,” Adnan emphasizes after days at the first warm cup of Çay and the first piece of Börek. He, too, is now demanding the full stringency of the law for those responsible for the disaster – corrupt politicians and greedy builders.Several suspects have now been detained by Turkish authorities and hundreds are wanted on warrants.
Political disaster despite miraculous rescues
The reason for much of the damage was probably poor building structure and a lack of standards – in some cases bearing walls on the ground floor were removed to increase the area. A fatal mistake, as it turned out last Monday.
Despite miraculous rescues, anger is likely to continue to mount in affected cities. However, 128 hours after the accident, a two-month-old baby was pulled from the rubble in Iskenderun and a five-month-old child in Antakya. In any case, the political situation for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Co. increasingly cramped by the flow of refugees to the West.
“Some are only wearing their pajamas”
The situation is also dramatic in Syria. Missio Father Gerry Baumgartner helps in Homs.
“crown”:Next to war now an earthquake. How are the local people coping with the disaster?
Father Gerry Baumgartner: There is a third catastrophe: the economic situation. For several years, and especially this winter, people have been starving and exhausted. They are ice cold. There has been no fuel oil for the past few weeks. They can’t afford basic food and then this earthquake happened. It’s a hard blow. But what gives me hope: people who have nothing have also given up this nothing. If families have an extra blanket in their home, it will be donated.
What do people need most right now?
Food and blankets are urgently needed. Otherwise, thousands of people will freeze or starve. Electricity was already rationed before the earthquake and there was hardly any petrol for cars. Some are only wearing their pajamas, which they wore on the night from Sunday to Monday. People need our help now more than ever!
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
