SEVEN WEEKS IN Aleppo

yearn for a sense of safety, for food and shelter, and for hope in a ‘better next hour’ – tomorrow is a distant horizon for so many.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is intervening in multiple ways, combining food aid, health care and psychosocial support delivered by a committed, multidisciplinary team of volunteers.

One of the youngest people supported by us is two-week-old Zain. When the earthquake hit, his heavily pregnant mother fled Aleppo as their house was destroyed. She also had her two young children and her two young brothers in her care.

Fr Tony O’Riordan SJ wrote from Syria in April where, as the leader of a team of JRS volunteers, he has seen the devastation caused by the earthquake of 6 February 2023.

At the time of the first quake, I was 700km away from the epicentre, asleep in my bed in Damascus. Having spent many nights in hostels, and years in the wilderness of Maban in South Sudan, I have developed the ability to sleep soundly and yet wake when there is something unusual moving in the night.

The mild tremor was more than enough to wake me, but I didn’t think much of it. It passed within what seemed like a minute. I went back to sleep. It was not until a few minutes later, as messages pinged on my phone, that I began the journey of discovering how serious and deadly the earthquake was. Several weeks later I am still discovering the impact of one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent times, which claimed the lives of over 50,000 people in the region.

More widely, it’s affected the lives of 8.8 million people in Syria and over 100,000 people are displaced, many sleeping in shelters or open spaces. Some have now been displaced for a third and fourth time, having had to flee what they called home multiple times, in the heat of all-out war.

The earthquake has compounded the impact on emotional well-being, and the daily struggle for survival and dignity, which had already been severely assaulted by more than twelve years of war, crippling poverty, and a global pandemic. It is no wonder people here joke, ‘when will the asteroid hit us?’

Not only have thousands of concrete buildings collapsed or been damaged, leaving thousands homeless, the earthquake has also left millions with a sense of fear and new dread. They

The JRS outreach team came across Zain’s mother in the squalid, unfurnished room where they were sheltering. She showed signs of malnourishment and was struggling to cope. There was little food in the house and Zain’s mother had no money left. She was in unfamiliar surroundings and lost. Our immediate concern was for her health, and for unborn Zain and the welfare of the other children. We were able to support the family with a food parcel and access to medical care; Zain’s mother was hospitalised. Three days later Zain was born and weighed just over 1kg. Though vulnerable, he is a resilient child, and with care and medical intervention he has gained strength and weight. JRS supported mother and child with medical costs, and supplied them with nappies and other essential baby products.

Baby Zain is a symbol of both hope for Syria and the resilience of the Syrian people. His story is also an example of the valuable work JRS is doing across the country. In a recent survey conducted among those affected by the earthquake and supported by JRS, 90% reported feeling better and safer than a month ago.

In the seven weeks after the earthquake, JRS distributed food aid to 7,800 families, impacting over 35,000 children, women and men. These families have been provided with food baskets designed to support family meals for 25 days. In the coming weeks we will reach another 4,000 vulnerable families.

We have also provided 2,000 children with psychological first aid. As many schools were used as emergency shelters and schooling was disrupted, JRS has played a vital role in offering these children an ongoing safe space and educational activities. JRS has also provided basic psychological first aid to over 6,800 adults, and primary health care access through 10,963 medical consultations in our gynaecological, paediatric and general practice clinics. According to one paediatric doctor, ‘many children were treated for respiratory illnesses owing to dust inhalation and linked to sleeping out-doors in sub-zero temperatures’.

There is here in Aleppo a seed, a small but powerful example, of an alternative that the world needs.

A significant support event we organised one month on from the earthquake was an inter-faith prayer service. Such events are almost unimaginable in Syria. Yet, one of the possible blessings that can emerge from this disaster is the way in which its deadly and frightening impact connects people. The response invites people to look beyond divides and look more at our common humanity, which connects us. I was grateful that our diverse team embraced this opportunity.

The slogan for the fundraising effort following the earthquake is #SyriaNeedsYou . And this is true, the world had forgotten Syria and Syria needs help. However, there is something that I see in the commitment, bravery and love of our JRS team and others in Syria, that prompts me to risk saying that, in our very broken world, #YouNeedSyria In a fragmented world, which in so many places is being led off a cliff by poor leadership, there is here in Aleppo a seed, a small but powerful example, of an alternative that the world needs.

With the help of so many we have accomplished much in the last seven weeks. So much more is needed in coming months. Less than half of the nearly $400 million that the UN says is needed for earthquake relief has not materialised . The UN humanitarian fund required pre-earthquake is also underfunded. Without further resources reaching JRS and other organisations on the ground, Syria will be unable to recover from the multiple crises they experience.

JRS is making a significant difference to the lives of people in Syria. With your continued support we will and can do more. Please keep me, the team of 340 volunteers I lead and Syria in your prayers.

Support The Earthquake Appeal

Help Jesuit Missions provide assistance to victims of the earthquake, through their partners on the ground: jesuitmissions.org.uk/take-action/ make-donation/

JRS HAS SO FAR HELPED...

7,800 FAMILIES, BY DISTRIBUTING FOOD AID (FOOD BASKETS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT FAMILY MEALS FOR 25 DAYS)

2,000

CHILDREN WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

6,800 ADULTS WITH BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

AND OVER

10,963 MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS TAKE PLACE IN OUR GYNAECOLOGICAL, PAEDIATRIC AND GENERAL PRACTICE CLINICS