Gaziantep, Turkey – It has been a week since a massive earthquake instantly changed tens of thousands of Turkish and Syrian lives.
A 7.8-magnitude quake erased thousands of buildings across 10 Turkish cities, devastating entire villages across the border in northern Syria as well.
The death toll surpassed 33,000 in both countries on Sunday, making it the deadliest earthquake in decades in the region.
Rescue teams and assistance were taking longer than expected because of winter weather and heavy damage to the roads.
As civilians complained, many supplied their own aid as they could, organising a response neighbourhood by neighbourhood to help and support each other.
Volunteer Nidal Memik helps with tent construction [Abdulsalam Jarroud/Al Jazeera]
‘Complete terror’
A few hours after the quake, restaurant owners and bars opened their doors distributing hot tea, bread, and a safe place to protect victims from the cold.
At Kebabçi Yalçin, in the neighbourhood of Gazimuhtar in Gaziantep, owner Mehmet Taşdelen immediately went to open his ground-floor restaurant as a refuge for those who just witnessed such a traumatic experience.
