‘They have nothing left at all’
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Kirsten’s in-laws are trapped in the region of Turkey most affected by the earthquake. She tries – as best she can – to catch them and bring them to safety. “But it’s hard to get there.”
“My mother-in-law sounded panicked at six in the morning on Monday. “An earthquake,” she said. Coincidentally, she was with us at that time, in Bodrum, and not at home. My in-laws come from Hatay, the hardest hit province (near the border with Syria, ed.).” But Kirsten, her husband and mother-in-law don’t know that at the time. “We were shocked and called immediately. We called and called but got no contact. We just kept sending messages.” Without result.
“There was no electricity, apps came in slowly and in pieces. By evening we were being told from left and right that almost all of them were okay.” Only the father of her sister-in-law, now four days later, is still missing.”
Kirsten continues: “My sister-in-law is black and blue up to halfway down her back, she was able to save her children – my nephew and niece (5 and 7) – with difficulty. They have nothing left: no home, no belongings, little to eat. There is still no electricity and the coal for the stove will soon run out.”
Fortunately, the children do not get everything. “They are now crammed into a house with 24 men that is still there. The children are kept inside so that they don’t see how bad it is outside. The food that is there goes to them first. They’re young, they don’t quite get it. The aftermath is yet to come.”
They have nothing left: no home, no belongings, little to eat
Sense and abuse
The people in Turkey, of course outside the disaster area, do not understand how serious the situation is, according to Kirsten. “They understand that help is needed, but then they donate party dresses, summer sandals and heels. There is no realization that there should be enough blankets, warm winter clothes and coats. Especially for the children. ”
Young people abuse the disaster situation on social media. “For example, they share their location on Instagram, asking if they can be rescued. Meanwhile, they are safely at home. That makes me so angry. In those ten, twenty or thirty minutes of unnecessary searching, others die.”
Powerless
Meanwhile, Kirsten and her husband try to get the family to Bodrum. “But that is difficult. The area has been hit so hard that it is almost impossible to get there. It’s so much worse than you see on TV. There they focus on where the epicenter was, but that’s not comparable to my in-laws’ village. That has been completely wiped out.
The buses that go there are in no time full. I was able to book a bus to Antalya for Friday evening, which is still almost a seven-hour drive from here.” Kirsten’s husband is on the road at the moment. “He asked if he should bring something for me. He also does not fully realize that there is really nothing left. I can only hope that he comes back safe and sound.”
I can only hope he comes back safe and sound
Kirsten feels powerless. “The help from abroad came very quickly, especially for the children, but it will never be enough. All I can do now is get my little family here and make sure they’re safe. That my nephew and niece are safe. And hope for good news about my sister-in-law’s father. Any message is better than no message at all. By telling my story to ask for the necessary attention. It is so much worse than what we see on television.”
Donations can be made through the website The Red Cross or via Giro 7244.
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