Türkiye sets up more than 450,000 tents, containers for earthquake victims

Tent cities and containers have been set up at more than 500 different locations for earthquake victims after the Feb. 6 earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye, the country’s vice president said Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference at the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), Fuat Oktay said tent cities were established in 354 regions with 437,613 tents and 21,714 containers were installed at 240 different locations. He noted that each container and tent was labeled and numbered as a dwelling.

He said 30.8 billion liras ($1.5 billion) were sent by AFAD to provinces affected by the earthquakes and 22.3 billion liras ($ 1.1 billion) by public institutions and organizations.

"In the disaster area and outside the disaster area, in tents, containers, dormitories, hotels, public guesthouses, school facilities and other facilities, a total of 2.19 million citizens are provided with accommodation services," he said.

Oktay said more than 1.37 million survivors were given 10,000 liras ($527) per household as support payment.

"In addition, 261,757 families received 15,000 liras ($790) in relocation aid. Payment procedures are still in place," he said.

"Furthermore, in order to restart manufacturing in our earthquake-affected regions, we will finish the workplaces we have planned in our provinces as soon as possible. Now, a total of 8,825 jobs are planned in Kahramanmaras, 3,595 in Malatya, 155 in Osmaniye, 585 in Adiyaman, 300 in Gaziantep, and 2,740 in Hatay," he said.

"We stand with the labor in this tough moment with the consciousness of being a social state, and we will continue to do so," Oktay added.

He said 1.80 million buildings were inspected and almost 20% of the debris has been removed.