Kilis on the border of Syria, housed many Syrian refugees. They are now, once again, displaced and looking for stability Photo Hasina Gori
Kilis – In the south of Turkey, near the Syrian border north of Aleppo is the town of Kilis. The roads of the town lead directly to Aleppo and as such, many Syrian refugees have come to live here. After being displaced by the war, many now find themselves being displaced again because of the earthquake.
Driving through the streets of Kilis, Hasina Gori, Salaamedia’s reporter in Turkey, still feels the mourning that the country is going through. The town is almost deserted with businesses closed as their owners fear that looting and vandalism could take place if they open up.
“Many businesses are still closed and it’s not just because of the lack of stock but also for fear of looting because there is not enough to go around for everyone. There are fears that should things continue, that the shops will be vandalised or looted due to the lack of resources.”
According to the NGO Gori spoke to, there are Syrian refugees who have come to Kilis. They are unstable in Turkey and would “rather return home and be with their loved ones who are affected”.
Images from a temporary shelter set up in Kilis. Many of those living here are refugees that had moved to Turkiye in the last decade. Photo Hasina Gori
Images from a temporary shelter set up in Kilis. Many of those living here are refugees that had moved to Turkiye in the last decade. Photo Hasina Gori
Images from a temporary shelter set up in Kilis. Many of those living here are refugees that had moved to Turkiye in the last decade. Photo Hasina Gori
Everyone on the ground is suffering
Survivors have had no time to mourn as deadly aftershocks continue to remind them about the devastating earthquakes. Around 5 000 tremors have been recorded so far with some tremors as large as 5.1 magnitude.
“People are scared of returning to their homes. People are scared of what the future is going to hold … They’ve just been trying to survive since [the earthquake]. Trying to find basic necessities like food, clothes and shelter. Ensuring that their children are safe. Some are still waiting in hope that should the rubble be moved, by some miracle, one of their loved ones are still alive. I think at the very least some of them are just hoping they find the bodies of their loved ones so they can give them a dignified burial.”
Martin Lejeune, a German journalist, has found it incredibly difficult to cover the earthquake. With so much death and destruction around, it is a sight that nobody should witness. The earthquake has inflicted such trauma on survivors that even the tremors bring back haunting memories for them.
“[Last night] we had a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. People were screaming because people are traumatised. Currently I’m in Antakya. Most of the houses are destroyed. Most of the inhabitants died and we have one house where 1 000 people died. It was a huge living complex and at least 1 000 people died in this complex. There is no Antakya anymore.”
A need for everything
Lejeune has seen the devastation first hand. Tears flowing like an endless river, children who have lost their parents to the earthquake and there is a need for so many things. “The area is so huge they could not provide aid for everyone at first”. There are no hospitals available. Only “medical clinics and improvised camps”.
“There’s a need for everything, especially for more medical care. There is no water, no electricity, no gas, no heat, no toilet because everything is destroyed. The whole infrastructure and it is quite cold. I experienced a night with a -11 degrees. People have to burn everything that they find. Furniture, the trees, garbage. They burn everything because they have to make a fire at night to survive.”
In Syria the need is the same. Imam Khalid Latif, from Islamic Relief USA, explained how there are kids who have been born into conflict. It is all they know and now their homes have been destroyed.
Imam Khalid Latif speaking on the situation in Syria which was also hit by the earthquakes . Syria has its own set of challenges with aid not being to enter the rebel led areas and many left to fend for themselves Video Hasina Gori
To hear more about Martin Lejeune experience on the ground and what Turkey requires, listen to the podcast here
