On 6 February 2023, tens of thousands of people lost their lives in two earthquakes, the epicenters of which were in Pazarcik and Elbistan, in the province of Maraş. After the earthquake that caused damage and destruction in 11 provinces, volunteers from many cities of Kurdistan and Turkey flocked to help. One of these volunteers is Havin Kiye, who lived through the Van earthquake.

Kiye went to Adiyaman (Semsûr) to help victims. She said she is no stranger to the disaster and trauma experienced. Kiye now lives in Istanbul but came to Adiyaman as soon as she heard that there was an earthquake.

Kiye said the following about the earthquake in Van: “I was at home when the earthquake happened. I didn't realize that it was an earthquake until I left the house. I just knew that the house we were in was going to collapse. I threw myself out, that's when I realized it was an earthquake. In fact, I had the same feeling as the earthquake victims here today. There is only one thing that hasn't changed then, like today. Nobody helps earthquake victims. We were in better condition compared to today's earthquake survivors. In other words, we were the best of the worst. I look here today, no one is here. There are only volunteers and civil society.”

Kiye underlined that the official figures on earthquake zones do not reflect the truth, and added: “I do not believe these figures at all. The numbers are hidden in today's disaster. I'm here because I can empathize with today's earthquake victims. I try to help the earthquake victims here as much as I can. Because in Van, too, we saw the lack of state aid.”

Kiye said that Adiyaman had turned into a city or ruins and added: “I can say that Adiyaman is gone. I'm not just talking about a neighbourhood, the city itself is gone, it's all in ruins. Gölbaşı and Besni are also in the same situation. There is no building that is not damaged. This is not just a matter for contractors. The consequences of such a catastrophe are neither humane, religious nor conscientious. When we look at the situation, we do not see a situation that fits humanity.”