Grass has taken hold on some empty lots, and on nearby hillsides tent cities are being wound down as homeless survivors are rehoused. But the overriding concern is to treat the psychologically damaged, many of whom are still too frightened to live under a solid roof. The economy, particularly big business, is bouncing back, but a recent study by Istanbul University shows that it was small businesses and housing that bore the brunt of the quake. Better built and probably better insured, more than half of all workplaces survived intact. Only 27 percent of housing was as fortunate, and smaller businesses run out of basements or flats were far less likely to have any disaster cover.
Government officials say they are now better prepared for such a devastating disaster.
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