The 6th of February 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 occurred in southern Turkey and in Syria. In Turkey, over 50,000 people died and in the neighboring country Syria, over 6,000.
Despite two years having passed, only 45 percent of all houses built for the victims of the earthquake had been completed by the end of 2024. The government aims to complete over 450,000 residences, shops, and other business premises by the end of 2025.
Jessie Thomson, head of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent in Turkey, says that nearly half a million people still live in temporary container cities.
Hundreds of thousands of people still face enormous challenges when it comes to regular income sources, and the occurrence of depression and despair is also increasing. The road to recovery is long and difficult, and those affected need continued support and solidarity, says Thomson.
The earthquake destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in several provinces in southern Turkey. The epicenter was in southeastern Turkey near the border with Syria, approximately 20 kilometers north of the two-million-inhabitant city of Gaziantep and just south of the million-inhabitant city of Kahramanmaras.
