The major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023 caused great destruction in Diyarbakır as well as in many other provinces. Thousands of buildings were severely damaged or collapsed, while the public turned to safe areas. Thousands of citizens are still struggling to survive in tent cities, which are at the forefront of these areas.

Hacı Yaprak and his family are living in a tent city set up by AFAD after the earthquake in Diyarbakır. Although there was no direct damage to their own home, they cannot enter their home due to the collapse of the building right next to them. The family is currently sheltering in a single tent with 15 people.

The disruptions in aid organizations that occurred immediately after the earthquake made it difficult to access even the most basic needs.

One of the most striking moments Hacı Yaprak experienced was not being able to access a bottle of water:

“I only wanted water. There were boxes of water there, but they told me to ‘go and drink from the fountain.’ They didn’t even give me water.”