Attachments
1. Developments
It has been 5 months since the earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, centered in Kahramanmaraş, which affected 11 provinces. According to the latest statement from the Ministry of Interior, Hatay suffered the highest number of casualties, with a total of 50,783 people losing their lives in all regions. The number of migrants who lost their lives in the regions was reported as 7,302.
According to the current data from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, there are currently 55,312 people staying in tents, 467,000 people in container cities, and 79,000 people in dormitories, social facilities, and hotels in the region.
The rising temperatures and humidity in the earthquake-hit provinces have significantly impacted daily life, and demolition and debris removal operations are still ongoing in certain areas. While the construction of permanent housing continues, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced in his latest statement that 319,000 housing units will be completed and handed over to beneficiaries within the first year. Erdoğan stated that the overall target is to have 650,000 housing units ready for occupation and that the earthquake's total cost to the country's economy is 104 billion dollars.
In response to the earthquakes on February 6, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a new program worth 2.5 million dollars focusing on the textile and related sectors in the affected regions. The program aims to provide employment for 3,500 people, primarily integrating women and disadvantaged groups into the workforce.
Louisa Vinton, the UNDP Representative in Türkiye, emphasized that this initiative will create dignified and sustainable job opportunities for people who became unemployed due to the earthquake, including refugees. She also highlighted the vital importance of similar initiatives to support traumatized and vulnerable individuals in standing on their own feet after the earthquake and emphasized the need for their support.