TURKEY: Thousands of homeless earthquake survivors prepare to face a third night as temperatures plummet. Victims accuse the government of being slow to deliver tents and aid

Record ID: 346403

  • Title: TURKEY: Thousands of homeless earthquake survivors prepare to face a third night as temperatures plummet. Victims accuse the government of being slow to deliver tents and aid
  • Date: 26th October 2011
  • Summary: ERCIS, TURKEY (OCTOBER 25, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAMP SET UP BY TURKISH RED CRESCENT IN STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 10th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Disasters
  • Reuters ID: LVA5JZA999UDVF8M6C4NQMXYYHZY
  • Story Text: Thousands on Tuesday (October 25) prepared to sleep for a third night in crowded tents or huddled around fires and in cars across a region rattled by aftershocks in Van province, near the Iranian border.
    People tried to keep warm by gas stoves inside a camp set up by the Turkish Red Crescent on the grounds of the Ercis city stadium, as temperatures began to drop and the rain began.
    The atmosphere coming from the camp was mixed, with some praising rescuer's efforts, and others saying much more needed to be done.
    With victims accusing the central government of being slow in delivering aid to a region inhabited mostly by minority Kurds, Ankara said it was sending more tents and blankets.
    In some distribution centres, fighting broke out among desperate victims to grab tents from the overwhelmed Red Crescent.
    The Turkish Red Crescent said they were preparing food for some 10,000 people, three times a day and would be ready to help when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
    They say they are ready to help when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
    The prime minister's Disaster and Emergency Administration said priority should be given to delivering tents, blankets, sleeping bags, water and food to the victims.
    "There aren't any tents for me. My wife was rescued half an hour ago," said a man at the camp in Ercis, a town of 100,000 that was worst hit.
    The Turkish Red Crescent has said it was preparing temporary shelter for about 40,000 people, although there were no reliable figures for the homeless. Many residents spent the night outside fearing any return to their damaged homes.
    Officials said 12,000 more tents would reach Van on Tuesday after complaints that entire families were cramming into tents.
    Hundreds of people queued along a nearby road, waiting to pick up tents from the military.
    "It all takes too long, we are freezing, we are freezing," said one man who was queuing.
    Authorities have been criticised for failing to ensure that some of the neediest, particularly in villages, received tents as night temperatures plummeted.
    The government has received offers of aid from dozens of countries, including from former ally Israel, but has so far accepted aid only from Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Iran.
    The Disaster and Emergency Administration said the death toll had risen to 366, with 1,301 people injured. The overnight death toll stood at 279.
    The death count was likely to rise further as many people were still missing and 2,262 buildings have collapsed.
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