Natural disasters suffered by seasonal agricultural workers

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The Development Workshop, a non-profit organization working in several fields, including governance and social development, has released a photo album compiling the natural disasters that seasonal agricultural workers experienced in the past decade.

"While seasonal agricultural workers have a vital position in agricultural production, they don't have humane living conditions in normal times and their living standards become even worse during disasters and emergencies," the album notes.

"All of them stay in tents made from canvas or nylon in the places where they go to work. Workers staying in these areas generally do not have the necessary protection against natural disasters such as thunderstorms, floods, storms, strong winds and dust storms."

To improve the vulnerable situation of the workers, policy changes should be made and awareness should be raised, says the Development Workshop.

Here are some of the pictures in the album:

Seasonal agricultural workers who were collecting hazelnuts in Uzunisa village, Ordu, lost their belongings during the floods in August 2011.

In the last days of 2019, floods in the southern provinces of Adana and Mersin affected more than 15,000 agricultural workers, including about 10,000 workers from Syria and 3,000 children. As the tent area where workers stayed flooded, people had difficulties accessing food, clothes and hygiene for days.

Many workers' tents were demolished in the floods and landslides that occurred during the hazelnut harvest period in Samsun, Giresun and Ordu in August 2020.

About 100 tents belonging to seasonal agricultural workers were demolished in a dust storm in the Polatlı district of Ankara, the capital. (HA/VK)