MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Semsûr- 60 percent of Semsûr (Adıyaman) has been destroyed by two deadly earthquakes centered inMaraş. People living in the villages and hamlets of the city cannot reach humanitarian aid. Although 15 days have passed since the earthquakes, the people of Semsûr and its villages have no clean water. The women living in villages are concerned about a disease outbreak due to the lack of clean water.

In the Tekpınar village, where Kurdish Alevi people live, meet their basic needs by being in solidarity with each other. They get clean water outside of the village and boil water before consuming it in order to prevent a disease outbreak. The villagers pulled their loved ones from the rubble with their own efforts because no search and rescue team was sent to the village. The villagers told us that they were given relief supplies after days and that they were given relief boxes containing black burqas and prayer rugs.

‘Our children get sick because there is no water’

Fatma Gündoğan, one of the earthquake survivors in the village, told us that their children got sick because there was no water. “On the day of the earthquake, we left our house without taking anything. Our house collapsed as we left. Our children slept hungry for days in the freezing temperatures. We received aid after four days. We went to Adıyaman city center to receive aid. The biggest problem for us now is the lack of water. Our children cannot take a shower for days. Our clothes are dirty and we cannot wash them because there is no detergent. We are afraid of being infested with lice because we have no shampoo and soap.”

‘Alevi villages received humanitarian aid very late’

Özlem Bozan told us they received humanitarian aid on the fourth day of the earthquakes. “No humanitarian aid was sent to Alevi villages for days. Humanitarian aid was first sent to Sunni villages. Village women need underwear, soap and detergent right now. We slept in our cars for three days. Some people still sleep in their cars because people cannot find tents. The people of our village try to hold on to life with their own efforts. The state did not send us any help; we received humanitarian aid from people.”

‘Black burqas and prayer rugs were sent to Alevi villages’

Özlem Dündar came to her village after the earthquakes. The villagers learned that two trucks of humanitarian aid sent to their village were directed to Maraş and Dilok. “All trucks of humanitarian aid sent to our village were directed elsewhere. Adıyaman has been wiped off the map and we received aid very late. Volunteer teams and humanitarian aid came from Kurdish cities. Many people lost their lives in the earthquakes. I do not know if it is because our village is an Alevi village, but the relief boxes sent to our village contain black burqas, prayer rugs and bikinis.”