Turkey Faces Acute Homelessness Crisis After Devastating Earthquakes

At least two million people in Turkey have been left homeless after the nation was hit by devastating earthquakes on February 6, 2023. According to experts, this has resulted in one of the worst homelessness emergencies in the world, with the government scrambling to provide shelter to hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

Turkey is still dealing with the aftermath of the earthquakes, which have so far claimed the lives of more than 41,200 people in Turkey and Syria. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a range of measures to address the crisis, including the construction of high-quality and safe buildings in the entire quake zone within one year.

The government has resorted to a patchwork of temporary solutions to shelter the displaced, including the erection of tent camps and container homes on the outskirts of destroyed cities. This has resulted in criticism from affected people and the political opposition over what they call the government’s disorganized and insufficient response, especially in the quakes’ immediate aftermath.

The homelessness crisis has hit Turks across class divides. Abuzer Izci, a former neighborhood muhtar, lost his two teenage daughters when his home collapsed in the earthquake. He now lives alone in a tent camp in a park in the city and does not know what to do. In the chapel of the Mersin Orthodox Church, thin mattresses were piled underneath a gilded portrait of the Virgin Mary with Jesus, and a mother nursed her infant nearby. Father Coskun Teymur, 69, said his church could temporarily serve as a shelter, providing meals with the help of local restaurants.

The economic damage inflicted by the earthquakes could run up to at least $84 billion, with the bulk of the sum needed for the reconstruction of homes, infrastructure and shelter for the hundreds of thousands left homeless. However, insurance coverage is likely to be low in most of the affected parts of Turkey. While earthquake insurance cover is technically mandatory in the country, this is very often not enforced in practice.

The situation has turned aid delivery into a battle, leading to tension between the government and grassroots activists, political parties and opposition-controlled municipalities working to fill a void after an initial response that they describe as slow and disorganized. The Istanbul municipality, which is controlled by political opponents of Mr. Erdogan, sent to the southern city of Iskenderun a repurposed ferry to shelter up to 1,200 displaced people and provide a kitchen, medical facilities and rooms for child daycare.

The desperate situation highlights the urgent need for assistance and support to help Turkey's most vulnerable people rebuild their lives.