On February 6, 2023, the earth shook in large parts of Turkey and northern Syria. More than 60,000 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands lost their homes. Two years later, the situation in the affected regions, especially in the earthquake center in the Hatay region, is still catastrophic. The area around Hatay has hardly been rebuilt so far.
“The people here are still in urgent need of support. Many are still living in container villages or have left the region. There is not much sign of a normal life here,” explains Serkan Eren, founder of STELP e. V. ”That is why I am all the more pleased that we can celebrate the opening of the daycare center in Hatay together with our partners from the ISS network on Wednesday. Here, 100 children will find a safe space to play, meet friends and process their traumas.”
STELP e. V. provided emergency aid just 24 hours after the devastating earthquakes, with a team distributing blankets, tents and fresh water to the survivors. Together with the Galatasaray Istanbul soccer club, a container village was set up in Kahramanmaraş which serves as temporary accommodation for many families. With the financial support of STELP e. V., the ISS network has now been able to implement another important long-term aid measure: the construction of a children’s daycare center in the Hatay region.
Building the daycare center in Turkey is an important step for the development of the children concerned
In one of the hardest hit areas, 100 children aged 1 to 6 can now find a safe place where they are not only looked after, but can also experience education, play and a bit of normality. “Especially in times of crisis, it is important to offer the youngest children a place of safety and stability. The construction of this daycare center is an important step towards giving the children a basis for their further development and helping them to process what they have experienced,” Serkan Eren continues.
Thousands of people are still living in temporary accommodation in the Hatay region. The reconstruction of the region continues to be delayed. In some areas, no new houses may be built due to the renewed risk of earthquakes. This is another reason why migration from the area is extremely high. But even for the people who want to stay in the area, only a few apartment buildings have been built in the earthquake-proof mountain regions. Most of the people are still waiting for help and, above all, for their destroyed homes to be rebuilt.