The Guardian High winds, driving rain and heavy snows have destroyed hundreds of tents in Turkey's earthquake zone over the past two weeks, ushering in a miserable new year for tens of thousands of homeless people. We are being destroyed. Fear of fire prompted electricity cuts in several areas, and a tent housing a temporary police station was among those that collapsed. On the edge of towns such as Golcuk, row after row of hastily built prefabricated housing units stand empty after people hunkered down for the winter under canvas across north-western Turkey. This is much warmer, and it's right next to my house.
Some people are less lucky.
They could not get their hands on high-quality shelters in what became a lottery of relief distribution, and they know the worst of the winter is yet to come. Many residents have packed up and left. Locals say about half the population of Golcuk has migrated to nearby villages, or returned to native towns in eastern Turkey. Some have no plans to return. Golcuk bore the brunt of the devastation when the first of Turkey's two earthquakes struck in August.