A year on from the earthquake, survivors in Turkey's Malatya decry conditions
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A year after the deadly and devastating earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and neighboring Syria, residents of the city of Malatya are still reeling from the shock of the natural catastrophe, with many of them struggling to lead a normal life.
Many buildings in the quake-stricken city still lie in ruins. Though the rubble has been removed, the reconstruction has yet to be concluded.
Two quakes shook 11 provinces in southern Turkey on February 6, including Malatya, killing over 50,000 people and destroying thousands of buildings, according to official figures.
Saime Kaya, 58, is among those who survived the earthquake in Malatya. Since her husband is bedridden, she has had to take matters into her own hands, providing for her children and grandchildren.
Though her family receives some aid from the state and international organizations, said contributions are not enough to fully cover their daily needs, forcing Kaya to visit the sites of ruined homes once a week in the hope of finding construction metals she can sell in order to afford food for her children and grandchildren, who still all live in tents set up by the government for the displaced.
"How do we make a living? The government this year looked after us. My God, be pleased with them. They gave us tea and sugar. They gave us food. My husband receives 6,000 lira a month [from the government]," Kaya said while looking for metals among piles of rubble.
"I am sick," she added. "I come here once a week, I am continuously sick. A kilo of used construction metal sells for eight lira. We make a living out of collecting these metals. The money is enough to buy food."
Battal Burak is an elderly resident of Malatya who used to own a two-story house that collapsed during the earthquake. Like thousands, he is forced to stay in a tent, barely managing to make his ends meet by collecting useful materials from under the rubble and reselling them.
"There is no food, no drink or life. God be pleased with the state that helped us. We cannot deny it. I am now living in a tent and waiting for them to give me a house. I am looking for some pieces of wood to burn, I come to collect pieces of metal under these rubbles. If there is iron, I collect it. This is how we continue our life," Burak said.
The earthquake killed 1,500 people and injured thousands in Malatya alone, destroying 6,000 buildings and severely damaging about 35,000 others.
While the ruins have been cleaned out of the city, thousands of buildings that sustained serious cracks have yet to be demolished.
Until now, almost 5,000 new houses have been built in Malatya and another 21,000 are expected to be completed shortly.
The Turkish government has been heavily criticized by the opposition on multiple occasions for the slow response to the earthquake, mainly on the grounds of accusations that it did not take adequate prevention measures.
Following the quakes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised compensation for the families of the victims, restoration of the collapsed buildings, and the handover of the new residential units within a year.
Many buildings in the quake-stricken city still lie in ruins. Though the rubble has been removed, the reconstruction has yet to be concluded.
Two quakes shook 11 provinces in southern Turkey on February 6, including Malatya, killing over 50,000 people and destroying thousands of buildings, according to official figures.
Saime Kaya, 58, is among those who survived the earthquake in Malatya. Since her husband is bedridden, she has had to take matters into her own hands, providing for her children and grandchildren.
Though her family receives some aid from the state and international organizations, said contributions are not enough to fully cover their daily needs, forcing Kaya to visit the sites of ruined homes once a week in the hope of finding construction metals she can sell in order to afford food for her children and grandchildren, who still all live in tents set up by the government for the displaced.
"How do we make a living? The government this year looked after us. My God, be pleased with them. They gave us tea and sugar. They gave us food. My husband receives 6,000 lira a month [from the government]," Kaya said while looking for metals among piles of rubble.
"I am sick," she added. "I come here once a week, I am continuously sick. A kilo of used construction metal sells for eight lira. We make a living out of collecting these metals. The money is enough to buy food."
Battal Burak is an elderly resident of Malatya who used to own a two-story house that collapsed during the earthquake. Like thousands, he is forced to stay in a tent, barely managing to make his ends meet by collecting useful materials from under the rubble and reselling them.
"There is no food, no drink or life. God be pleased with the state that helped us. We cannot deny it. I am now living in a tent and waiting for them to give me a house. I am looking for some pieces of wood to burn, I come to collect pieces of metal under these rubbles. If there is iron, I collect it. This is how we continue our life," Burak said.
The earthquake killed 1,500 people and injured thousands in Malatya alone, destroying 6,000 buildings and severely damaging about 35,000 others.
While the ruins have been cleaned out of the city, thousands of buildings that sustained serious cracks have yet to be demolished.
Until now, almost 5,000 new houses have been built in Malatya and another 21,000 are expected to be completed shortly.
The Turkish government has been heavily criticized by the opposition on multiple occasions for the slow response to the earthquake, mainly on the grounds of accusations that it did not take adequate prevention measures.
Following the quakes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised compensation for the families of the victims, restoration of the collapsed buildings, and the handover of the new residential units within a year.