The 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that struck Turkey and Syria last week killed more than 40,000 people. They also injured at least 100,000 others. Millions now need humanitarian aid after being left homeless and without basic life needs. Busra Civelek is a teacher in Turkey. She looks after 22 children on a passenger boat in the port of Iskenderun. The ship has been turned into a temporary classroom, shelter and health center. Civelek said the children have been learning to deal with what happened. Civelek explained that the children play 'earthquake' with building blocks. They talk about the earthquake. They build blocks and say... 'is this okay for earthquakes?' and 'is it stable?'," Civelek said. They also play with toy fire engines. They say... 'We have to go to the earthquake (area) quickly', she added. Hasibe Ebru is a psychiatrist who is working on the passenger boat. She said survivors on the boat are crying a lot and are having trouble sleeping. I am telling (the quake survivors) that what they have been experiencing is normal and these symptoms will gradually decrease in a safe environment, she said. The long-term mental health effects can only be understood with time as people deal with trauma in different ways, Ebru said.
