It has been years since Turkey and Syria were rocked by two powerful earthquakes in a row that caused the ground to crack. At the time, outside support was promised and Erdogan said the destroyed cities would be rebuilt quickly. But many still live in tents, under extremely difficult conditions. TV4 News has visited the area.
Samira and her family with four children, one of whom is severely disabled, are crammed under a tarp in southern Turkey. They are some of the 100,000s who are still homeless after the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria a year ago.
– The night of the earthquake there was suddenly a heavy rain. Then the house started shaking and started collapsing. We ran out into the street, in the rain until the light came up. It was a terrible situation. It felt like doomsday, says Samira, a Syrian refugee.
Over 50,000 people died and around 1.5 million lost their homes. Promises then poured in about support and reconstruction. But the help reaches far from everyone.
– We have only received a single blanket, and there are ten of us in the family. Who will get that blanket? I feel helpless in front of the children. We are having a terrible time. As a mother, I feel like nothing, says Samira.
– It just shows that the needs are still enormous. They need support to get to some kind of normal life. More help is needed, says Jordan Lesser Roy, IRC, International Rescue Committee.