Containers are now permanent for them
The housing crisis for earthquake victims continues. Three years after the earthquake, 360,455 people are living in 126,583 containers under “emergency” conditions. 43.5 per cent of those living in containers are in Hatay.
Three years have passed since the 6 February earthquakes, one of the greatest disasters in the country's history. Many problems continue to be experienced in the region, from the right to shelter to education, from the right to health to the right to the environment and property. According to a report by the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, in the third year after the earthquake, the temporary solution has become a permanent way of life.
A total of 360,455 people are trying to continue their lives in 126,583 containers located in 242 container cities in 11 provinces affected by the earthquake. Of this population, 223,072 live in containers within cities, while 137,383 live in containers in rural areas.
According to the Strategy and Budget Presidency's Kahramanmaraş and Hatay Earthquakes Reconstruction and Development Report, 156,953 people live in 153 container cities in Hatay, where the earthquake damage was most severe. Those living in Hatay make up 43.5% of those living in container cities in the region. Hatay is followed by Malatya with 67,664 people, Maraş with 55,264 people, and Adıyaman with 42,456 people. These four provinces account for 89% of those living in containers.
The situation in other provinces is as follows:
•Antep 21,985,
•Elazığ 6,023,
•Osmaniye 3,223,
•Urfa 3,084,
•Kilis 1,889,
•Diyarbakır 1,305,
•Adana 609.
According to the Damage Assessment Report dated 26 January 2026 by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the total number of homes categorised as requiring urgent demolition, destroyed, severely damaged or moderately damaged was determined to be 632,667. It was stated that there were 108,383 commercial establishments and 22,792 barns and haylofts in the same category. The report stated that the change in the number of damaged independent sections was due to changes in the degree of damage assessment and the purpose of use.
3.6 TRILLION LIRA SPENT IN THREE YEARS
It was noted that the key delivery process for the residences, for which the lottery for the rightful owners remaining in containers has been completed, is continuing in stages. At the end of the rights ownership process, which began on 30 May 2023, a total of 410,335 rights holders were accepted, including approximately 359,157 for residences, 39,121 for workplaces, and 12,057 for barns across 18 provinces.
The report stated that between 2023 and 2025, public institutions would spend a total of 3.6 trillion Turkish lira by the end of 2025 to compensate for the losses and damage caused by the earthquake and to reduce disaster risks. In the 2026 budget, a total of 653 billion TL has been allocated for reducing disaster risks, repairing damage caused by earthquakes, meeting the needs of citizens living in earthquake-prone areas, and constructing earthquake-resistant cities.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Konteyner onlar için artık kalıcı, published in BirGün newspaper on February 5, 2026.
