More than two weeks after the earthquake that shook southern Turkey and neighboring Syria, volunteers in the Hatay region are worried that the influx of humanitarian aid is drying up. Added to this are the difficulties of cooperation with the State.
With our special correspondent in Iskenderun, Manon Chaplain
In an old wedding reception hall in Iskenderun, about thirty volunteers are busy taping boxes filled with baby diapers. It is here that the association Iskenderun Solidarité has been packing donations from all over Turkey for two weeks. But for the past few days, Dinçer, a volunteer, has seen stocks fall dangerously. “ As time passes, the number of humanitarian convoys decreaseshe is alarmed. I don’t know what will happen if the humanitarian aid stops. People who don’t live here don’t realize the seriousness of the situation. They have their own life. And when you haven’t experienced the situation, you forget, it’s human. »
Emre came to help the day after the earthquake and is worried that the other volunteers are slowly leaving. ” They have their own life. They have to go back to work, so they can stay a maximum of one week, ten daysexplains the volunteer. We need more locals to come and help us, because the volunteers who come from other cities will soon be going home. »
Government fear
For Mubarek, the originator of the project, the main problem is the centralization of humanitarian aid by Afad, the national organization for disaster management. He fears that the government will end up banning aid from associations. “ The government put pressure on civilian aid to seize it, and diverted it to Afad warehouses. They want to pretend that all the help comes from them, and that everything is under controlsays Mubarek. While they did not know how to manage the situation. »
Following the February 6 earthquake and its thousands of aftershocks, nearly 100,000 buildings were destroyed, and more than 1.5 million people live on the streets. Here, humanitarian aid will still be needed for a long time.
► Also to listen: Grand Reportage – Turkey: when the earth shakes