MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Mereş – Search and rescue efforts in the Pazarcık district of Maraş province continue. People living in the district and its villages have been staying outside since two major earthquakes occurred in Maraş on February 6, 2023 because their houses have collapsed. While people in some villages stay in tents, in mountainous villages where there are not enough tents and the temperature is very cold, the people struggle to survive with their own efforts.

Many houses collapsed in the village

In Bozlar village, located in the mountainous area of Pazarcık, dozens of houses have collapsed and the other ones have been seriously damaged due to the earthquakes. The villagers, who have been staying in the freezing temperature, say the number of tents is insufficient. The villagers, who have tents to take shelter, cannot stay in tents due to the cold weather. “We have taken shelter in the school due to the cold weather,” the villagers told NuJINHA. The villagers also told us that 12 people have lost their lives in the earthquakes.

‘We cannot stay in tents’

Elif Cebeler, a villager, said that they have been in a bad situation for days. Stating that they cannot stay in the tents due to the freezing temperature, she said, “We left our houses without taking anything because the earthquake occurred suddenly. We shook like that for a day or two days. After violent aftershocks, dead bodies were taken out of the debris. Many houses have collapsed in the village. We cannot enter our house because our house has been seriously damaged. Since the earthquakes occurred, we have been staying in the school. Tents were brought to our village after several days; however, inside the tents is very cold so we cannot stay in them. The number of tents is also insufficient.”

 They stay in village school

Underlining that they have been in a very bad situation since the earthquakes occurred, Elif Cebeler said, “That’s why we have been taking shelter in the village school. We make beds by putting the school desks next to each other. About 30-40 people stay in a classroom. Old and sick people stay in the school and we do not know what we can do. There is not enough space so we have not been able to sleep for seven days. We do not know what to do.”

‘The state does not see us’

“Civilians help and stand by us. The state does not help us, it does not see us. It has not sent us tents,” another village woman said.