Earthquake Survivors Start Hunger Strike

Survivors of 2011 Van Province earthquake have started a hunger strike this morning, urging the authorities to improve their right to adequate housing and living conditions in prefabricated sites.

On 23 October and 9 November 2011, two devastating earthquakes shook the eastern province of Van with a magnitude of 7.2 and 5.6 respectively, displacing thousands of people. While a majority of survivors transitioned to public housing apartments, some were left in their destiny in prefabricated sites. 

“We have no electricity for the past 20 days,” said survivors who mostly have unemployment issues. 

Survivors have launched a hunger strike, saying that authorities didn’t provide them any housing and left them without electricity. 

“We are going to take turns and continue our hunger strike,” a hunger striker said.  

Böke: An oppression policy 

“Life becomes impossible when the lights are out here,” Cevahir Yiğit Böke, a human right advocate and People’s Democratic Party (HDK) Van province representative told bianet. 

“We have 110 households here. That makes roughly 400 survivors. Most of them are unemployed or elderly. Some have lost their family members. Legally, they have the right to reside in these prefabricated sites for 5 years. But they are being subjected to an oppressive policy. They are trying to yield survivors to leave premises. However, survivors keep on living here because they have no place to go.” 

Responding to Van Governor Office’s allegations on who cut the power supply in the premises, “They say they haven’t cut the power supply. But the thing is that they have the responsibility to pay the electricity bill.” 

"Survivors clearly demand their right to adequate housing” 

Böke reiterated survivors’ determination to continue their huger strike. “Their lives are dramatically affected to the lack of power supply. Their demands are quite clear: Right to adequate housing. Either find us a place to live or improve our conditions, they say.” 

“Survivors receive no help other than the prefabricated houses. Most of them are unemployed and they receive no job finding support. Authorities ignore their situation, nobody is supporting them. Children have no access to education. Prefabricated sites out of city center have no access to healthcare. 

Police detained Böke last night. “Last night, a survivor declared that he will start hunger strike. Upon that, a police officer stepped in and threatened with a pistol. We went to the scene to ask whether allegations are true,” he said.  

“However,” he continued, “police detained us instead of responding our inquiries.” 

Among yesterday’s detainees included Mehmet Dursun, journalist at Dicle News Agency (DIHA). They were released briefly later on. 

This morning, earthquake survivors have released a statement, saying that they will resume their hunger strike until their demands are taken into consideration. (ST/EA/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.