MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Mereş- A week has passed since the two major earthquakes that centered in Maraş and affected 10 cities in Turkiye. The earthquakes have killed more than 30,000 people and wounded thousands of people. The earthquake victims try to hold on to life despite everything. The search and rescue efforts that started on the third day of the earthquakes have ended in Pazarcık, Afşin, Andırın, Ekinözü, Çağlayancerit, Kilis and Riha (Urfa) and will end in Elbistan tomorrow. The earthquake survivors, whose relatives are still under the debris, have been waiting for their loved ones to be taken out of the debris since the first day of the earthquakes to look for their loved ones with their own means or with the support of volunteers.

While the earthquake victims, who take shelter in crisis coordination centers established by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and non-governmental organizations in provinces and districts, say that they stand firm thanks to the help and support of civilians and national and international volunteer teams.

She came from Switzerland to help people in the villages of Maraş

Pediatric nurse Xece Konu is one of the volunteers, who came from Switzerland to Pazarcık after the earthquakes. She and her team members have visited many villages to help earthquake victims. She is also a member of the Xezal Women's Association in Europe and some members of the association came to Pazarcık to help people. “I am here to support and help people not only in Pazarcık but also everywhere affected by the earthquakes. I know how painful earthquakes are from the earthquake in Van.  I thought I could help people since I am a health worker. Yesterday, we visited many villages to help people. The situation is worse than said.”

‘You cannot understand how the situation is terrible without being here’

Indicating that people living in cities, districts and rural areas have been trying to hold on to life despite all difficult conditions, Xece Konu said that people took their loved ones out of the debris with their own means without receiving any help. “It is very difficult to describe the situation. We have been here for days and we have seen how people struggle to hold on to life. People need tents and shelters to protect themselves from cold weather. You cannot understand how the situation is terrible without being here. Some cities have been wiped off the map. The people living in these cities have to rebuild their lives.”

‘More volunteers should come here’

Underlining that the earthquake victims need solidarity for a long time, Xece Konu called on everyone to come to the region as volunteers. “After going to villages, I understood that the earthquake victims needed more volunteers. For this reason, people in Turkiye and other countries should come to the region to support and help the earthquake victims,” she told us.

 ‘People should not be disconnected from their culture’

Xece Konu concluded her speech as follows: “The solidarity must be maintained. We should be in solidarity with the earthquake victims without disconnecting them from their culture. We can develop projects such as solidarity families or container projects. We can stand by the earthquake victims by carrying out activities for them. Poor earthquake victims have to leave their homeland. I think we should support them to prevent the depopulation of the region.”