Cities in Turkey and Syria, including Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, were shaken for days by two major earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks. The devastation left behind by the destruction is at a level that is very difficult to repair. Beyond the immediate crisis in these areas, the experiences of women, children, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups necessitate attention and visibility, especially when considering the existing inequalities. We gathered insights from artist Ateş Alpar, journalist Burcu Karakaş, and UNFPA Turkey specifically regarding the women and LGBTQ+ individuals living in these regions.
Note for readers: At the time of the earthquake, many cultural workers in Turkey slowed down or halted their work. Productions and activities were shaped according to the needs of the earthquake-affected region, as expected.
It is very difficult to describe the destruction caused by natural disasters. It becomes hard to say anything. ‘Normal,’ ‘new normal,’ ‘old normal’… What do these definitions or adjectives correspond to? We are going through it. In the midst of an age of crises, while people are expected to live with both economic hardships and explicit or implicit humiliation, they are also expected not to show any signs of anger or reaction. In fact, the boundaries of the political space are being shaped at this center. Crisis is no longer something to be overcome but rather something to be managed. As all this happens, who will claim the public space, who will be a part of it, and what will belonging mean for both the people here and for those of us watching from the outside? We are not trying to explore the question of what it means to participate in street politics or be part of it from a fragmented place. On the contrary, we are addressing the predetermined notions of who or what can intervene in these spaces. What does it mean to become part of something or, instead, to be included in the lives and actions of others? The struggle against precarity and patriarchy must also be a struggle against racism, nationalism, anti-immigrant politics, misogyny, homophobia, and every form of social injustice. The boundary required by the form of proximity and opposition should be the common grounds where these intersect, rather than wandering at the limits of other things. It is possible to live without owing something, without feeling gratitude. As we navigate these areas, our minds and hearts remain suspended for women, children, and LGBTQ+ individuals, whom we already know to be facing immense challenges.
The lack of shelter and harsh weather conditions following the destruction raised concerns about the safety of people left on the streets. It was known that some people, out of desperation, had returned to homes that had not collapsed. Concerns about women in these regions being in their menstrual periods, pregnant, or LGBTQ+ individuals leaving their safe spaces and searching for new ones were among the first issues that came to mind regarding these groups. Some women and LGBTQ+ individuals living in the earthquake-affected regions were already people who had fled their homes in Syria and were living in a very vulnerable state, relying on humanitarian aid here. Now their homes and livelihoods are completely destroyed. After the earthquake, some trans women living in these regions shared that they were not wanted in the areas created for other people. On this cold winter day, where and how would they find shelter without facing discrimination? Several women
shared their anger, not knowing what to do with their newborn babies. In this special piece that you are about to read, we reached out to artist Ateş Alpar, journalist Burcu Karakaş, and UNFPA Turkey, who closely follow the region, to gather their views on the situation. We would like to thank them, as well as Zeynep Atılgan Özgenç from the UNFPA Turkey team, who facilitated communication with UNFPA Turkey, for their time and for bringing visibility to this process.
Ateş Alpar: "LGBTQ+ individuals, who were targeted by the government and its supporters just before the earthquake, unfortunately faced a difficult process during the earthquake as well."
Thinking that the state and its institutions would not arrive quickly to these disaster areas, I set out on February 6th, the first day, to go to Hatay. My goal was also to conduct archival and memory work related to the disaster area in Hatay. I had my camera, a sound recorder, and a small backpack with me. Of course, I was shocked by what I saw. I couldn’t even take my camera out of my bag on the first day. When I heard the voices coming from the rubble, I tried to help. There was no one around. The local people tended to their own wounds during the first week. We tried to remove the stones with our bare hands, without gloves or helmets, and we worked tirelessly for days, hoping to hear another voice. We also realized that the state did not distribute its resources equally across the entire disaster area.
In the first week, there were no tents, water, or food. Children were freezing on the streets. The most basic and urgent needs there were hygiene products, underwear, pajamas, shoes, clothing, food, and clean water sources. None of these were available in the first week. In addition to the lack of basic physical necessities, discrimination was also evident. Women and LGBTQ+ individuals, in particular, couldn’t even get in line for food. Later, as my friends and I thought about what we could do for the LGBTQ+ community in Hatay, we tried to provide food, secure tents, and find transportation for those who wanted to leave the city. We tried to foster solidarity and unity through struggle. This spirit was already present in Hatay. However, the influence of religious communities, sects, and a patriarchal mindset made things more difficult. LGBTQ+ individuals, who were targeted by the government and its supporters just before the earthquake, unfortunately faced a difficult process during the earthquake as well. Those who wanted to leave the disaster area but couldn’t, those who were denied food in the lines, and those who were left homeless endured the toughest times. LGBTQ+ individuals were hesitant even when trying to meet their most basic needs. They couldn’t feel comfortable in tents; when they tried to leave the city, they were either not allowed onto vehicles or faced violence. Syrians who didn’t speak Turkish were hesitant to ask for help. The women in the tent city quietly conveyed their needs to the female volunteers.
When people were pulled from the rubble, they were buried without shrouds and without being identified. Many were wrapped in whatever paper or clothing was found on the ground and buried that way. From what I observed in the wreckage, it was clear that women tried to save their children before themselves, often losing their lives in the process. There were mothers who, despite the freezing cold, waited for days by the rubble, hoping their children would be found, and children waiting for their mothers, along with people waiting for their siblings, neighbors, or loved ones. People were found in the clothing they were wearing when they went to sleep; even the delivery of blankets happened much too late.
The situation was far worse for refugees. For instance, I saw four women and a child living in a tent meant for only three people. There were also those who remained silent under the rubble, not calling out for help because they feared no assistance would come due to their refugee status. The lack of planning, coordination, distribution issues, discrimination, favoritism, propaganda that didn’t align with the region’s cultural fabric, and the constant presence of hundreds of soldiers and police with large armored weapons caused anxiety among the people. We must not allow racism, xenophobia, and discrimination to be normalized under the pretext of the earthquake, or let earthquake victims be pitted against one another. Let’s strengthen the solidarity among communities. Let’s continue to heal each other’s wounds.
To everyone in the region who has lost loved ones and whose homes have been destroyed, I embrace you with a heavy heart. I wish you the strength to endure.
Burcu Karakaş: "There is an urgent need to create adequate conditions within the healthcare system for women."
It’s necessary to establish a resource pool based on the needs of the earthquake survivors and act accordingly. We can say that, in the initial phase, a significant portion of those in need are women. The hygiene issue particularly affects women directly. There’s an urgent need for solutions, but I’m not sure how this will be achieved. Unfortunately, from what I observed there, no solution seems feasible within the current circumstances. I get the impression that no preventive measures can be effectively implemented under these conditions, and the problems will only continue to grow.
There are pregnant women, and they have specific needs. Some women gave birth prematurely due to stress. It is crucial to urgently create adequate conditions within the healthcare system for women. However, having seen the situation there, I also realize how long it might take for these needs to be addressed. Sanitary pads are a very important necessity, and during my time there, they were still lacking. Additionally, if women had other needs, they might not express them unless they saw a female staff member. For this reason, there was a demand to increase the number of female staff. Imagine being on your period, for example, with no access to clean water and garbage everywhere. The Turkish Medical Association reported an increase in vaginal and fungal infections."
UNFPA Turkey: "There are currently approximately 226,000 pregnant women in the earthquake-affected region who urgently need access to reproductive health services. An estimated 25,000 of them are expected to give birth within a month."
Half of the approximately 16 million people affected by the earthquakes, which deeply shook all of Turkey and devastated hundreds of thousands of lives across 11 provinces, are women and girls.
Many of these women, who have lost their loved ones, homes, savings, and all their belongings, are now living in tents under difficult conditions. Thousands of buildings, including health facilities and UNFPA-supported centers, have been destroyed or damaged, disrupting women’s access to reproductive health services and information on protection from violence when they need it most.
Although disasters may seem like events independent of gender, they actually deepen gender inequality in their outcomes. Particularly in disaster management, women and girls face vital needs such as shelter and food, along with specialized support requirements.
Pregnancies continue during disaster periods, as do births and menstrual cycles. Therefore, humanitarian interventions must focus on providing necessary information and services in the fields of health and protection for women and girls in need, and this support must not be delayed.
Currently, there are approximately 226,000 pregnant women in the earthquake-affected region who urgently need access to reproductive health services. An estimated 25,000 of them are expected to give birth within a month. In addition to basic hygiene needs, these women urgently require access to qualified, continuous, and safe reproductive health services.
Moreover, in crisis situations, women, girls, and other vulnerable groups face an increased risk of violence. Many women and children in the earthquake-affected areas have been traumatized and are in need of psychosocial support. Public facilities that provided services for responding to cases of violence against women in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and Adıyaman have been destroyed. There is an ongoing need for longer-term secure shelters for those who were already under protection due to gender-based violence and for vulnerable groups whose sensitivities have increased following the earthquake.
From the first day, UNFPA has been on the ground, working in coordination with public institutions and partners to protect the health and rights of women and girls, including their right to live free from abuse and violence, while supporting access to reproductive health information and services, safe pregnancy, and childbirth.
In the earthquake-affected regions, UNFPA, in partnership with local organizations in Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Adana, Adıyaman, and Hatay, provides information, materials, and services related to reproductive health and gender-based violence through mobile teams and service units. Teams providing prenatal, postnatal, and newborn care services also offer psychosocial support to women affected by gender-based violence. Additionally, these teams distribute women’s health kits containing essential hygiene materials and mother-baby health kits addressing the basic needs of new mothers and their newborns.
UNFPA has issued an appeal for support to reach more women and girls. Those who wish to contribute to our life-saving work on sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of gender-based violence in the earthquake-affected regions of Turkey can do so through the donation link on our website.
This article was published in Turkish on the dadanizm.com website on February 27, 2023.
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