Turkey earthquake: The children who lost their names in the disaster

A child lies in a bed at a hospital, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

The devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has left many children without homes, and even names.

Many are just infants, who parents are either deceased or missing, the BBC reported. Often, the addresses matched to their names are nothing but ruins.

At one hospital in Turkey, there was an injured baby girl with an "anonymous" tag on her bed.

"We know where she was found and how she got here," the doctor attending to the infant told the BBC. "But we're trying to find an address. The search is continuing."

Another child, a six-year-old with injuries to her head, wasn't able to tell medical staffers here name.

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A pediatrician interviewed by the BBC said: "Because of the shock, these children cannot really talk. They know their names. Once they're stabilised a couple of days later we can (try to) talk."

There are over 200 children who the authorities in Turkey haven't been able to identify yet.

More people, including children, continue to be pulled out from under the ruins as the massive rescue effort in Turkey and Syria goes on for nearly a week.

The death toll in the earthquake, the worst ever to hit the region, has crossed 24,000.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake flattened entire sections of big cities in Turkey and Syria, destroying many historical sites.

Rescuers have been racing against time amid the biting cold in search for those trapped under the rubble. Videos have shown them rescuing newborn babies and little children from disaster-stricken areas.

In Syria, already devastated by years of war, over 50 lakh people have been rendered homeless by the earthquake.

As many as 8.7 lakh people in both the countries are in urgent need of food. Countries and international agencies continue to rush relief material and personnel to the affected areas.

(With inputs from AFP)