Syria and Türkiye earthquakes: "I feel that the disaster is still ongoing"

"When the first quake occurred, I was home in A’zaz with my husband, son and daughter. We live on the second floor. We were asleep when the earthquake happened. My husband felt it and woke me up. I carried my daughter, while my husband carried my son. We ran out of the house in our pyjamas, barefoot and terrified. It felt like doomsday.

People were crammed and running in crowds. We could no longer feel anything other than fear, terror, shivering and rain. My children were shaking in front of me. We had no clue what needed to be done. We had to make sure our relatives in other places were safe, but our building was toppling and swaying before us – we felt so many things.

Balconies were falling on cars and destroying them. The scene was horrible: people running away from the buildings while holding onto their children.

We drove away and waited. At dawn, my family called me from Damascus to ask if something had happened to us. They said my uncle’s family passed away. My family, who is far away from the earthquake, knew this before we did.

The internet connection and the electricity went out. We could hardly use the networks to check up on the people we know. I told my husband that we must go to Jindires, the most affected area, along with the areas in Atarib and the outskirts of Idlib. I told him that we had to go there because a lot of people died and all the people from my hometown live there. 

We got ready with the kids and left within 15 minutes. We had to change our clothes, which were stained by the rain and dirt. We then went to Jindires. It was horrific. All the buildings collapsed. From the outskirts of the city, not a single building was spared. People were under the rubble. 

Witnessing this horrific scene, it was impossible to think that anyone would make it out of the buildings. We went to my uncle’s house. We could barely get there because of the rubble. My nephew’s daughter, her sister, their sisters-in-law, and our relatives were all killed. The ones who survived were shocked and did not understand what was happening.  

Then, we felt another shock, I saw the building in front of us shaking and almost falling. I begged them to get away from the buildings. We all got into the car and drove away, where there were tents and people we knew. We sat in a tent in the middle of heavy rain and mud, but we and our children had to be safe.

Every family lost one or several loved ones. It’s taking time to get people out. The machines were very few and we only saw individual efforts and initiatives. My husband rushed to help the civil defence to save people from under the rubble. He goes there every day. Our friends are also helping. The [MSF] health team that I supervise is also helping in Jindires. Everyone has relatives there but even if they don’t, they go to help, as no one else is helping clear the rubble. The machines are very limited in the north.

The [MSF] team coordinated with the logistics team to distribute tents and clothes. They prepared them and went to Jindires for distribution. Essential kits were distributed to the people in Jindires. The team worked until late at night. I was not able to help or contribute to their work, as I’m alone with the kids, and far away from home.

I’m still shocked. I can’t come to terms with what happened. I feel that the disaster is still ongoing. I can’t bring myself to go back home. We went to the hospital yesterday. My husband's friend's family all died except for one girl. We visited her in the hospital. She told us how they gathered in one place. She headed to the door with her brother. Their younger sister followed them. She told me how the roof fell on top of her father, killing him; how her father said his last words and passed away.

"When the rubble fell, my sister landed underneath me. She suffocated because of me," she cried. "My sister Tala choked because of me. She was screaming at me to get away from her, but I couldn't. The rubble was on top of me. "

The needs are immense. All people care about now is saving people from under the rubble. Bulldozers and heavy machinery are desperately needed to save people, otherwise, it won’t be possible. It's very cold and rainy. People have lost their clothes and money and cannot buy clothes, heaters or find shelter. Homes have been destroyed and families have moved to mosques, schools and shelters. Organizations are working on the ground, but the needs are enormous. If no intervention takes place, the needs cannot be met.

I hope that the response will be intensified and that people are rescued from under the rubble, and that those dead be buried. Any action must be taken, as the area is completely demolished. We may find one or two standing buildings, but they are badly damaged and about to collapse."