Death toll from earthquakes reached 49,589

Vice President Fuat Oktay said, "We have lost a total of 49,589 citizens, 6,807 of whom are foreign nationals, due to the earthquake disasters." Oktay provided information about the work being carried out following the earthquakes that occurred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6 with Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank and President of Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) Yunus Sezer at the AFAD Coordination Center. Oktay said, "We have lost a total of 49,589 citizens, 6,807 of whom are foreign nationals, due to the earthquake disasters." Oktay reported that AFAD, gendarmerie, security and Turkish Armed Forces personnel had been on duty in search and rescue activities in Adıyaman and Şanlıurfa since the first moment of the flood disaster and that 18 citizens lost their lives in the flood disaster and that search efforts were continuing for 3 citizens. A total of 31 billion liras was sent to the provinces affected by the earthquake by AFAD, 22 billion 328 million 330 thousand liras of which was sent by our public institutions and organizations. Of the amount committed in the Turkey One Heart campaign, 82 billion 454 million 611 thousand liras was deposited into AFAD accounts by our donors. The funds we sent to the provinces and the aid collected are evaluated and used by considering the plans of our public institutions for the revival of our disaster region and the needs of our citizens. Our current priority is shelter, nutrition and the work to revive the cities. The tent and container installations that we started in the region from the very beginning in order to meet the temporary shelter needs of our citizens in the disaster of the century continue uninterruptedly. 354 tent city areas have been established so far. 480 thousand tent installations have been completed with individual demands. Shelter services are provided to 1 million 921 thousand citizens in the tents that have been set up. In addition, 245 container city areas and a total of 108,155 container installations were planned in the provinces affected by the earthquake. So far, 25,000 container installations have been completed. A total of 96 thousand 444 citizens are being provided shelter services in the containers that have been set up." - "We want every citizen to exercise their right under the law" Oktay announced that each container and tent in the tent and container cities have been determined as a place of residence and registered as a place of residence. Reminding that the election process has begun, Oktay expressed that they want every citizen to exercise their right under the law. Emphasizing that earthquake-affected citizens will not experience any loss of rights when they change their place of residence to another place in order to vote and that earthquake-affected citizens can easily change their place of residence where they are, Oktay said, "So far, we have 345 thousand 97 citizens who have changed their place of residence." Noting that shelter services were provided to a total of 2 million 343 thousand citizens in tents, containers, GSB dormitories, hotels, public guesthouses, MEB facilities and other facilities in and outside the disaster area, Oktay said that the distribution of heaters, beds and blankets to the earthquake region has continued since the first day of the earthquake. Expressing that both the damage assessment caused by the flood and the necessary actions due to the earthquake disaster were carried out hand in hand, Oktay said that the Household Support Payment of 10 thousand Turkish Lira, a total of 13 billion 769 million 850 thousand Turkish Lira, was deposited into the accounts of the earthquake victim families. Oktay said that a total of 3 billion 926 million 355 thousand Turkish Lira moving aid of 15 thousand Turkish Lira was provided to the families and that payment transactions were continuing. - New residences to be constructed Vice President Oktay stated that 1 million 847 thousand 409 buildings consisting of 5 million 337 thousand 674 independent sections were inspected on-site and damage assessments were made in the provinces affected by the earthquake so far, and reported that 298 thousand 448 buildings consisting of 876 thousand 569 independent sections were determined to be collapsed, in need of urgent demolition, severely damaged or moderately damaged. Reminding that the debris removal process is continuing, Oktay said that almost 22 percent of the debris has been removed so far. Oktay stated that the construction of 75 thousand village houses and a total of 319 thousand houses, which are urgently needed, will be completed within a year, and noted that as a result of the work, a total of 653 thousand houses will be built. Oktay stated that the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change conducted ground survey work in 154 areas with 49 thousand 835 meters of drilling, and that they carried out the revitalization process of the cities affected by the earthquake with a committee consisting of scientists from different fields of expertise.