UN: Millions of tons of rubble formed in earthquakes

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will support efforts to remove debris caused by earthquakes in Turkey.

In the statement made by the program, it was indicated that most of the fund of 113.5 million dollars requested as part of the “urgent call for help” of 1,000 million dollars for Turkey, announced by the United Nations Organization (UN) on February 16, will be used for debris removal activities. The statement indicated that UNDP aims to implement an environmentally friendly rubble management approach to support government actions, and it is planned to recycle the raw materials contained in the rubble instead of removing the rubble and dumping it in somewhere.

The statement added that the United Nations Development Program will also seek to create livelihoods by employing local residents to remove and process the rubble.

The statement also included the views of the UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey, Louisa Vinton. Vinton said: “At UNDP, we focus on early recovery. On the one hand, we support the emergency response, on the other hand, we plan the large-scale works that will be necessary to bring life back to normal in the region. Clearing the rubble is a very important first step, but in doing so, we must respect the lives and dreams buried under the rubble.

According to initial UNDP estimates, the earthquakes generated between 116 and 210 million tons of debris. Approximately 13 million tons of debris were formed in the Gölcük earthquake.

He specified that UNDP, which also contributed with the emergency response teams, delivered 160 770-liter garbage containers, 54 tons of slaked lime, and 10,000 liters of disinfectant to the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality. (AA)