ANTAKYA: Turkey launched a temporary wage support scheme on Wednesday and banned layoffs in 10 cities to protect workers and businesses from the financial impact of the massive earthquake that hit the south of the country.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6 killed more than 47,000 people in Turkey and Syria, damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings and left millions homeless.

In Turkey, 865,000 people are living in tents and 23,500 in containers, while 376,000 are in student dormitories and public guesthouses outside the earthquake zone, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Under the economic relief plan, employers whose workplaces were “heavily or moderately damaged” get wage support for workers whose hours had been cut, the country’s Official Gazette said on Wednesday.

A ban on layoffs was also introduced in 10 earthquake-hit provinces. Both moves appeared aimed at easing an exodus from a region which is home to 13 million people.

“People whose homes or businesses are damaged are now seeking jobs outside the disaster area,” economist Enver Erkan said.