The CNEWA Connection

Leyla Antaki, second from left, co-founder of the Blue Marists in Aleppo, and fellow volunteers prepare meals for earthquake survivors. Opposite, Michel Constantin, regional director for CNEWA’s Beirut office, distributes packages to school children at a center of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Aleppo.

injury. Fatima’s parents wanted to shield her from the dancing Mr. Sanjian was organizing. They feared she would be upset at being unable to participate. But he insisted that she join them, and she enjoyed herself fully, he says.

Laura Jenji, 24, her younger brother, Edward, 23, and their friend George Hamoui, 23, volunteer about 40 hours a week with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The three university students speak passionately about the work they do and the meaning it brings to their lives.

“It’s true we are offering help, but we are finding great comfort,” says Edward. “When we are asked to give two hours, we give four.”

“People really need us,” says George, who had started by helping in the shelters, but has since begun assisting with damage assessments of homes in the city. “It’s important to me that I keep on helping.”

On a field visit, Rawd Rafek, a young mother of twins, struggles to find the words to explain how an electrical short circuit after the earthquake sparked a fire that burned down her apartment. She is unable to finish a sentence without crying — a sign of the deep trauma she is suffering.

Mrs. Rafek had never wanted to leave Syria, even during the 12-year war, which forced her to flee her village and take refuge in Aleppo. However, the earthquake has left her with nothing and for the first time, she says, she is thinking about moving abroad.

CNEWA’s emergency response team, based in Beirut, moved quickly after a 6 February earthquake shook Syria and Turkey. The first stages of relief provided food, medicine, blankets, clothes and other essentials through the agency’s partners, such as the Blue Marists and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. CNEWA has raised more than $1.5 million in emergency relief since the disaster first struck. In addition to the first wave of aid, the Beirut-based team has funded psychosocial programs, rental assistance and the relocation of families, minor repairs of homes and the supply of basic furniture.

To support this crucial work, call 1-800-442-6392 (United States) or 1-866-322-4441 (Canada) or visit cnewa.org/work/ emergency-syria

Dr. Nabil Antaki, 73, a gastroenterologist, and his wife, Leyla, are committed to staying in Syria and have made the promotion of solidarity in Syrian society their life’s mission.

“My wife and I took two major decisions in our lives,” he says. “The first one, in 1979, when we decided to come back to Syria from Canada; the second, in 2013, when we decided to stay in Aleppo despite the war because we saw there was work to be done here with our people.”

In 1986, Dr. Antaki, Leyla and Marist Brother George Sabe launched The Ear of God, a social solidarity project, which came to be known as the Blue Marists in 2012.

The Blue Marists have 155 team members, who support Aleppine families impacted by the war, regardless of religious affiliation. They run 14 relief, educational and human development programs that serve the most vulnerable.

Jocelyne Orfali heads the Blue Marists’ Sharing Bread project, which provides a daily hot meal for 250 seniors who live alone in Aleppo. After accompanying her on a delivery one day, her 18-year-old son also decided to join the Blue Marists.

“People need us. That really makes you want to help,” says Mrs. Orfali.

Lexa Nuhad Luxa’s eyes light up every time he speaks about the Blue Marists. The 24-year-old national martial arts champion is trying to make ends meet as an aluminum technician and has found a sense of purpose working with the Blue Marists.

“Believe me, when you see that despite all your difficulties and disappointments you can still help and give, you feel a great joy. You feel you can do something and you want to give more and more,” he says.

In the days after the earthquake, the Blue Marists were housing and feeding up to 1,000 families in Aleppo. Less than 30 minutes after the earthquake, they opened their center to hundreds of people for more than 20 days. They offered shelter, daily meals, medical care, medication and support. Since those who were sheltered returned to their homes, the Blue Marists have been offering rent support and assistance for building repair. Brother George says he considers Syria’s economic crisis, including inflation and unemployment, to be the most significant challenge since the earthquake. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 90 percent of Syria’s population currently lives below the poverty line and basic food prices have soared 800 percent in the past two years. In addition to people losing their homes in the earthquake, many also lost their source of revenue: their shops and professional equipment.

The second challenge, he says, is “the ever-growing wish to leave the country.”

“People are worn out by 12 years of war, and then comes the earthquake,” he says. “The youth are very frustrated. There is a loss of meaning. ‘Why am I alive?’ they wonder.”

Syrians also felt abandoned by the international community immediately after the earthquake, he adds.

“We did not receive any international aid. We received humanitarian aid from church organizations. The international organizations refuse to contribute to any rebuilding,” he says. “We are very grateful that Christian humanitarian institutions took the initiative to come to the aid of the Syrian Aleppine person.”

The openness of these church groups to help all Syrians, Christian and Muslim, “really shows how much our relationship with these institutions is based on deep human values,” says Brother George.

“We were overwhelmed by this solidarity shown to us by individuals and organizations. It is not only about the money. They are truly available and ready to help.”

In April, two months after the first earthquake, humanitarian aid workers shifted from emergency response to the second stage of disaster relief, which includes relocating families to stable housing, carrying out minor home repairs, and replacing furniture and household items.

Mrs. Dakno says the survivors fall into one of three categories: those who lost their homes, those whose homes were damaged and need repair or new furnishings, and those who suffered severe trauma and are “terrified to go back home.”

The relief team of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been conducting field visits to identify the particular needs of families, which were already significant as a result of the 12-year civil war. While those whose homes were found unsafe and uninhabitable after the earthquake are receiving housing and rent subsidies, the vast majority of residents lost furniture and equipment, which they are incapable of replacing.

“Everybody’s plates and glasses were shattered. Just to replace these would cost people a little fortune,” says Mrs. Dakno.

Of great concern as well are the people’s psychological needs. “We have seen some very severe cases of trauma,” she says. “We are in tremendous need of psychological support.”

Due to the lack of professional therapists in Aleppo, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is preparing online training sessions with counseling professionals in Beirut to help accompany earthquake survivors.

“We need professionals who would offer some of their time, to be constantly in contact with us,” she says. “Just as there are cracks in the buildings, there are cracks inside each one of us, and I’m afraid they are much more difficult to fix.”

Brother George observes the acute need for psychological support in the wake of the earthquake as well.

“When the earth was trembling, families got together and started praying,” he explains. “It was a moment of great fear. Now parents are afraid to let go of their children and children don’t want to leave their parents. There is a huge amount of work to be done for these people in order for them to be able to go back to their daily routine without the fear of losing each other.”

However, amid the destruction, the natural disaster has brought with it an opportunity for “new experiences, people’s love, solidarity, openness to the other, not only on an international level but also on a local one,” says Brother George. Despite the collective trauma, Aleppines seem to find solace in being there for each other.

“We were very open to each other. It was a beautiful ‘social earthquake,’ and we should learn from this experience to build the future that we want for ourselves.”