Turkey begins to rebuilding homes, 15 lakh people left homeless after the devastating earthquakes
According to a Reuters report, the combined death toll in the country and Syria has crossed 50,000. More than 160,000 buildings containing 520,000 flats collapsed or were severely damaged in deadly earthquakes earlier this month that killed hundreds in Turkey and neighbouring Syria.
Manika Raghuvanshi 
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced that the death toll in Turkey due to Friday night's earthquake had risen to 44,218, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Syria's latest declared death toll stands at 5,914.
President Tayyip Erdogan, who faces elections within months, promised to rebuild the properties within a year. However, experts said safety must come before speed, considering some properties that were built to withstand the tremors in the latest quakes.
The official told Reuters under conditions of anonymity, “Tenders and contracts have been made for several projects. The process is moving very fast." There will be no compromise on security. While tents have been sent to the homeless, people have said they are having trouble getting there.
Melek, 67, said, “I have eight children. We are living in a tent. There is water on top (of the tent) and the ground is wet. We are asking for more tents and they are not giving us.” Joe Hassa was waiting in line to seek help outside a high school in the town, he told Reuters.
A group of volunteers called Interrail Turkey is using the school as an aid distribution center. Sumey Karabocek, one of the volunteers, said the biggest problem was the lack of tents.
Erdogan's government has received a wave of criticism over how it has handled the catastrophe and what many have called years of non-enforcement of construction quality controls.
The official said the Turkish government's initial plan is now to build 200,000 apartments and 70,000 rural houses at a cost of at least $15 billion. However, US Bank, Jaypee
UNDP said it requested $113.5 million of the $1 billion in funds appealed by the United Nations last week. The money would have been focused on cleaning up the mountains of debris.
UNDP estimates that the disaster produced between 116 million and 210 million tons of debris, compared with 13 million tons of debris after the 1999 earthquake in northwest Turkey.
Turkey also issued new rules under which companies and charities can build homes and workplaces for those in need to donate to the Ministry of Urbanization.
Many survivors have fled the region of southern Turkey that was hit by the earthquake or have settled in tents, container houses and other government-sponsored housing. Morgan estimated that rebuilding homes and infrastructure would cost more than $25 billion.
