MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Semsûr (Adıyaman)- People living in the cities affected by the February 6 earthquakes still suffer from the consequences of the earthquakes. Although five months have passed since the earthquakes, still they have housing problems, suffer from the lack of a safe environment and they cannot access essential services including safe water, education and medical care.

Syrian refugees living in Semsûr were settled in tent cities set up in different parts of the city. They have to share toilets and bathrooms in the tent cities. The tent cities have been isolated due to the increase in the cases of scabies and lice.

‘Women have no safe space’

In the tent cities, tents have been set up next to each other and women have no safe space and privacy. In the last five months, three children and a woman have been sexually assaulted in the tent cities. According to the reports, the woman, who was sexually assaulted, and the perpetrator were deported from Turkey to Syria along with their families. Last week, a child was sexually assaulted by her stepfather in a tent city built by AFAD (Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority). The stepfather was detained.

‘We observe an increase in violence against women and children’

NuJINHA spoke to psychologist Gökçe Korkmaz about the living conditions of women and children in tent cities. Emphasizing that quake survivors have been suffering from housing problems and the lack of safe environment although five months have passed since the earthquakes, Gökçe Korkmaz said, “We observe an increase in cases of sexual abuse, rape and violence against women and children.”

‘There are no mechanisms preventing violence’

Pointing to the lack of mechanisms preventing violence against women in the tent cities, Gökçe Korkmaz said, “Although women report violence against them, they are ignored. There are no mechanisms preventing violence against women and children. The lack of such mechanisms encourages men to inflict violence.”

‘Safety and security must be ensured for women and children living in tent cities’

Calling on the authorities to ensure safety and security for women and children living in tent cities, Gökçe Korkmaz said, “Women and children need mechanisms preventing violence in tent cities. Awareness-raising activities should be carried out in tent cities. Self-defense courses should be provided to women living in tent cities to protect themselves. In addition, we need to establish solidarity networks among women.”