Poverty persists in Van's container town 13 years after quakes

Kadir Cesur / Gazete Duvar

Van was struck by two devastating earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 5.6, on Oct. 23 and Nov. 9, 2011. The earthquakes claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed thousands of homes. In response, tent cities were initially established, followed by container housing to address the urgent need for shelter.

Over the years, these temporary shelters were gradually dismantled, but the container city in Seyrantepe, a neighborhood in the central district of Tuşba, has remained in place for 13 years. Dozens of families still live there.

The area, consisting of 120 containers, housed 72 families last year. Now, the number of families has increased to nearly fill all the containers. Some families who had left returned because they could no longer afford high rent prices.

Others, who became homeless and had no other refuge or financial means, also moved into the container city as a last resort. The area has essentially turned into a small neighborhood. Some residents were born and raised there, while others arrived in recent years.

Children have been the most affected by the harsh living conditions. Though the sound of the school bell from a school just a kilometer away can be heard, most children either cannot attend or grow up knowing they will not be able to continue their education. Gazete Duvar spoke to the mothers of some of these children.

Nazife Yoğun lived through the Van earthquake. She, along with her son, was trapped under the rubble of their rented home but was rescued after several hours. Yoğun, who has two sons aged 16 and 17, was only able to send them to school until fifth and sixth grade.

She said, “We had no choice but to come here after the earthquake. My children were small, and my husband couldn’t work. Thirteen years have passed, and my children have grown up, but we are still here. I couldn’t continue their education. Now, one of my sons shines shoes, and the other collects things from the trash to bring home. Authorities should think of us too. If they consider us, we would also love to live like others. No one sees us, no one lends a hand.”

Most children in this area attend the same elementary school. Classes start at 8 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Even if the mothers want to prepare lunchboxes for their children, it is often not possible. Memihan Polat is one of those mothers.

Polat moved into an empty container with her family two years ago, after they were evicted for not paying rent. She said she was considering pulling her children out of school due to financial difficulties.

“Every day we endure something different. The school doesn’t provide food. I need to put something in their lunchboxes, but there’s nothing. Sometimes I manage to put in a potato, sometimes a piece of cheese. When the school asks for something, we can’t afford it. They are children, they get excited, and they want things, but we can’t provide them. If this continues, I will take them out after middle school. High school and university are impossible. I want to educate them so they don’t live a life like ours, but we don’t have the means.”

The Özkaya family has also been living in the container city for 13 years. The father is unable to work due to health issues. The mother, Semra Özkaya, tries to send two of her three children to school with the social support payments she says “aren’t even enough to buy bread.”

She also worries about not being able to keep them in school, “I’ve been living here for 13 years. I realized I’ve never really lived in a proper house. Sometimes when I visit my father’s house, it feels like a palace. My three children were all born here. Two of them go to school. The school has certain requests from the children. For example, they asked for uniforms, but we couldn’t buy them. The government gives out books, but the school sometimes asks for additional books and test materials. We can’t afford those either. My children are falling behind in everything. My child in fourth grade still hasn’t learned anything. How can I keep sending them to school?”

Another problem in the container city is environmental pollution, which leads to health issues, particularly affecting children. We met with Dr. Ömer Alpago, who, along with his wife, has been visiting the container city as a volunteer for a long time.

Alpago pointed out the health risks faced by children living there, “Children here frequently suffer from lower respiratory infections, especially during the winter. They struggle to meet even their basic nutritional needs. Mothers have a hard time providing milk for their babies. Due to these nutritional deficiencies, the children’s ability to focus, stay motivated, and engage in lessons is reduced."

Accordingly, the doctors' biggest concern was the outbreak of an epidemic. "Seven out of every ten children here, especially girls, have lice. Many also have intestinal infections. These children will face developmental issues and will not grow up healthy,” he concluded. 

(English version by Ayşenaz Toptaş)