The horrors of a massive series of earthquakes that struck Turkey in February cannot be captured in just words.

The official death toll was estimated to be about 48,000, tens of thousands more were missing.

Usay Bulut, a Turkish journalist who also is a distinguished senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, explains in a new report that, “the death toll was reportedly high not only because of corruption in the construction sector but also because of the government’s lack of timely aid to survivors. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to send rescue aid promptly to the earthquake-stricken area. Survivors were ignored for days. After the first earthquake, even access to Twitter was restricted for over 9 hours. More than a month later, survivors are still saying that they have not received enough help. Millions are homeless, in tents, struggling to survive.”

It appears the government had allowed “corrupt builders” to put up unsafe structures all over, the report said.

But possibly the worst horror that has developed is what is happening to orphaned children, the report said.

“They are at risk of human trafficking, organ harvesting and sexual abuse – and Islamist indoctrination,” the report warned.

Children have disappeared in inexplicable ways. A 15-year-old was taken to a hospital, but disappeared from there.

The report continued, “Unaccompanied children are vulnerable to Islamic radicals known for leading indoctrination centers where children are abused.” And, Bulut reported, “Erdogan’s government has reportedly been obstructing the genuine humanitarian aid provided by his political opposition, and instead, along with his pro-regime media, reportedly has been promoting Islamist groups such as the Islamist Ensar Foundation and calling them non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Ensar Foundation staffers have been exposed for raping students.”

Then, too, a radical Islamic group called Menzil Jamaat said it was “hosting” more than a thousand children.

Various Islamic fatwas, in fact, declare that such children could be available for “marriage.”

Those, the report said, “simply make orphaned children even more vulnerable to sexual abuse.”

The Association of Children and Women First, which operates in Turkey, explained it had documented cases there of “children” who survived the quakes “were handed over to people who introduced themselves as their families.”

Some of those calling themselves “family” in fact likely were “taraqats or organ mafia,” the report said.

Hediye Gökçe Baykal, a lawyer in the ACWF, told Gatestone that children who are separated from parents during an event like an earthquake face “various threats.’

“Every day a new claim emerges that unaccompanied children are taken by certain [Islamist] jamaats and tariqats. We are also extremely worried that the missing children could be kidnapped to be used for organ mafia, human trafficking, or other criminal purposes.”

It is calling for police and prosecutors to investigate reports of kidnappings, or many children being placed in homes.

The lawyer said, “It is unacceptable to deliver these children to third parties, individuals, institutions, or associations other than the Ministry. Adoption and foster family institutions should also be done lawfully in line with the Ministry’s rigorous and meticulous investigations.”

This article was originally published by the WND News Center.

This post originally appeared on WND News Center.