Qatar Charitable Society Launches a Housing Project in Van City

Van,Turkey, May 02 (QNA) - Qatar Charitable Society, has launched a housing project in Van city , east of Turkey for the benefit of those stricken and affected by last year earthquake which hit the city last October and caused heavy material and human damages. The project, funded by the State of Qatar has cost six and a half million Qatari Riyals, was executed in a period not exceeding four months, and is to benefit 150 families who lost their houses due to the quake. The project which was carried out in cooperation with the local partner of Qatar Charity in Turkey (the humanitarian relief, human rights and freedoms) includes 100 mobile housing units, and 50 prefabricated residential units in addition to mobile medical clinic, with expenses of conduct for 6 months, and a mosque for prayer and teaching the Holy Quran. During the inauguration ceremony Yousef Ahmed Al Kuwari, the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Charity affirmed that the project reflects the warm and distinct relations of fraternity and cooperation linking Qatar and Turkey, and through which a model for sublime human services was provided. Al Kuwari expressed pride of "Qatar Charity" of such a grand work which comes within the framework of the relief of the affected and needy people as urged by the religion of Islam indicating that the project was completed in a record time and in high quality. He made clear that the project contributes to the restoration of normal life and social stability for 150 families benefited from the prefabricated or mobile housing units as well as providing a mosque, and a mobile clinic to it, in order to preserve its human dignity, after it had been exposed to a harsh humanitarian disaster. The ceremony was concluded with a speech delivered by Sheikh Ahmed Al Hammadi, member of the General Assembly of Qatar Charity, in which he stressed the importance of cooperation and solidarity among the people of the nation, especially in times of disasters and calamities. Following the ceremony, "Qatar Charity's delegation handed over the keys of these housing units to the beneficiaries, who have expressed their gratitude for this humanitarian gesture, and the support of their brothers in Qatar after the earthquake disaster. For his part, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Be?ir Atalay announced earlier on Thursday , April 26 that the government will start delivering house as early as August to residents of Van who lost their homes in October and November s devastating earthquakes in the eastern province. Talking to a group of reporters in the city of Van, Atalay said almost everyone who was evacuated to container homes and tents will be resettled in new homes built by the government before the next winter season. Atalay said the government would build a total of 30,000 homes in the province of Van. He said the government has spent TL 2 billion so far and expects to spend a total of TL 5.5 billion once the reconstruction and restoration is finished. Currently, some 175,000 quake survivors are being housed in 30,000 prefabricated containers that are hooked up to the city s electricity and sewer systems. The government has spent TL 420 million on container cities so far, including paying an electricity bill of TL 136 million. Atalay said they were determined to move all residents in these prefabricated houses to permanent houses currently being built. The Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKi) is building 10,443 homes in the city of Van. Including neighboring cities and villages in the province, TOKi will build a total of 15,323 homes for Van and Erci residents at a total cost of TL 1.9 billion. TOKi is also building 450 steel-constructed homes and barns for villages in Van province. Atalay said the government has had to revise it projections for damaged buildings upwards because of a recent assessment by engineering teams that found more homes were actually damaged than originally thought. (QNA)