Rebuilding after disaster struck Turkey

91797 Rebuilding After Disaster Struck Turkey September 17, 2002 On August 17, 1999, a massive earthquake devastated Turkey's Marmara region.  Seventeen thousand people were killed in the quake, which measured 7.4 on the Richter scale.  Hundreds of thousands more lost their homes and livelihoods.  Turkey's industrial heartland was extensively damaged.  The international community reacted swiftly. The World Bank provided $252 million for emergency recovery assistance.  Another $505 million was provided for the construction of 11,502 new homes in eight different sites throughout the devastated region. Thousands of people were involved in the rebuilding effort.  Fourteen contractors built low concrete buildings that were designed and constructed to withstand future tremors.  Duzce, in Western Turkey, was the first of the affected communities to rise again, being rebuilt around a combination of new apartment buildings, a new school for 240 students, and a new health center.  More than 8,000 housing units have been built for survivors of the quake.  Together, the World Bank and Turkish authorities also are taking steps to safeguard people against any future quakes. Two million earthquake insurance policies have been issued through the Turkish Catastrophic Insurance Pool, and the Turkish Emergency Management Agency has been established to respond effectively to future crises. "I wish never to live again with the fear that my house might collapse on top of me," says Havva Cosar, a Turkish woman who received a key to a new house.  Kenan Karadeniz, an accountant in the rebuilt town of Duzce, also moved into a new home built with funds from the World Bank. "I can't recognize this as the same place I walked through after the earthquake when the streets were destroyed," Karadeniz said. "The city is being rebuilt." Related Links:  Turkey  Disaster Management Facility  Emergency Earthquake Recovery Loan  Marmara Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction Project Updated: September 2002