It is children who are suffering the heaviest burden of the two earthquakes that hit the province of Wan on 23 October and 9 November 2011.

The earthquake little victims in the district of Erdîş (Erciş) do already have concerns over the winter and cold weather.
Children in the container city in Erdîş complain about the pretty cold weather and demand a warm house, saying they don't want to feel cold during this winter.

A seven year old child among them, Rabia Gün, say they ended up homeless because they had no money. “We would be sitting in our warm house now if my father also had a work and money, and could afford a house for us and a coat for me. I don't want to stay in this place which is dark and cold in the evening, and at night. We are both afraid and feeling cold. My mother cries all night long and we cry with her. I do not know why she cries but I know that she wouldn't do so if we had a house”.

People living in containers have been on hunger strike for over 100 days.

Following the earthquakes, 34 'container cities' were established to provide accommodation for the victims.

After 15,343 homes built by TOKİ and sold to earthquake victims at high prices were 'presented' to their new owners by the Prime Minister, the container cities began to be gradually removed. However, 500 families who did not receive housing remained there.

After the final date had passed the electricity supply to the container cities was cut off.

30 of the 110 families living at the Anadolu container city on İpekyolu Road began a hunger strike on 28 August. The earthquake victims have now been on hunger strike for over 100 days and say they will continue their protest until they are permanently re-housed.

Spokesperson Ali Ahi said that they wanted a permanent solution to the problem, adding that the Van Municipality's providing them with catalytic stoves had been of great help, but said: "Now people are becoming ill. We cannot send our children to school. All we want is for our need for accommodation to be met, which is one of the duties of the state to its citizens. We are not asking for much, but the authorities are not moving a muscle. The Governor will be responsible if things get worse. What we want is permanent housing. We are struggling to survive here. It is snowing and is very cold. Our children are ill because we have not had electricity for 108 days."

The mainly Kurdish Van province in eastern Turkey, located on the shore of Lake Van, was struck by two major earthquakes two years ago, on  23 October and 9 November, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded and homeless.

The city, called "The Pearl of the East because of the beauty of its surrounding landscape,  was first hit  by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake after which some 600 people died and 28 thousand buildings became unusable.

The lack of aid and poor aid operation in Van was protested by thousands of earthquake victims who called on the governor to resign for coming up with no solution to the problems of the victims. Demonstrators were however attacked with gas bombs while officials failed to provide the urgent needs of the victims including housing and food. 

In a parliamentary question presented by BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) former Group Deputy Chairman Fatma Kurtulan, two years before the earthquake, the BDP had asked to consider the earthquake risk in Van and about any precautions. The Ministry of Public Works and Settlement responded on January 4,2010 saying that “All kinds of precautions have been taken for the construction of all public and private buildings in our country in accordance with the Regulation on Buildings in Seismic Zones and other legislation provisions.”In his answer the minister also stated that 14 schools, hospitals and service buildings were also strengthened. However around 100 schools, lodging buildings for teachers and students collapsed as a result of the Van earthquake.

Tens of thousands struggled for life in nylon tents and shelters they put up with their own means while the government was exposed to be non ready to face and respond quickly to such a disaster.

Earthquake victims complained that prefabricated houses and winter tents were only provided to the people who had relations and connections with senior bureaucrats and members of the ruling AKP government which -they said- made effort to save its ‘own people’ in the area. "The rest, those not supporting the AKP, are left no choice but to migrate or try to survive in jerry-build tents", they reacted and also accused the Turkish media of reflecting the image AKP wants, not the realities in Van, and of dissembling the discrimination in the distribution of aid materials.

Dozens of children died due to cold weather and hunger, and in the fires set by the electric heater used in the tents. "Which one is better or worse; earthquake, the cold or tent fires?", was the question they asked.

They settled in tent cities from which also they were discharged later, and therewith put their tents in front of their houses or in park areas. They were later evicted from their tents on the grounds that these shelters “disturbed the beauty of the city”. Authorities forcibly took people’s tents away in park areas in particular, people were forced to settle on side streets into Mevlana Houses which - earthquake victims said - weren’t any different from tents. People reacted to the forced replacement and demanded a permanent solutions instead of cosmetic and temporary solutions.