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(Reuters) - An NGO started by a Turkish rock star and endorsed by pop star Madonna has raised 1 billion Turkish lira ($53 million) for earthquake victims, after many opposed to Turkey's government said they prefer not to donate to state-run organisations.
Many in Turkey say more people could have survived the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the south of the country and neighboring Syria a week ago if the emergency response had been faster and better organized. Reuters spoke to dozens of residents and overwhelmed first-responders who expressed bewilderment at a lack of water, food, medicine, body bags and cranes in the disaster zone in the days following the quake - leaving hundreds of thousands of people to fend for themselves in the depths of winter.
Kevser said she could hear her two sons trapped beneath the rubble of their collapsed apartment building in the Turkish city of Antakya but for two days she was unable to find an emergency response leader to order their rescue.
ANTAKYA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Kevser said she could hear her two sons trapped beneath the rubble of their collapsed apartment building in the Turkish c.