Tap water supplied by the provincial water system in Turkey’s earthquake hit Hatay is not safe for drinking, the country’s health minister announced on Tuesday.
“According to results we have, the city water in Hatay is at the moment not safe to use as drinking water. The city water at the moment is only safe for other uses,” Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.
The minister added that drinking water has been distributed to residents of Hatay province by tank trucks, and that the ministry will continue to run tests to ensure water safety.
Limited access to clean water, as well as the lack of toilets and showers, can cause health risks, according to volunteer health professionals working in relief efforts in the disaster hit region.
Health professionals have repeatedly warned the public of possible health problems that can be caused by unsafe water and lack of hygiene since the 6 February twin earthquakes that largely destroyed the province.
The European Union warned on Monday against viral spread of food and water-borne diseases, respiratory infections, and vaccine-preventable infections in the coming weeks in areas impacted by earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.