A SYRIAN student studying in Bahrain has spoken of her heartache following the devastating destruction of parts of her country caused by an earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.
The natural disaster has claimed thousands of lives across Syria and neighbouring Türkiye but fortunately 21-year-old Maria Adi’s family members have escaped with their lives although three have had their homes totally destroyed.
“I’m utterly devastated at what has happened,” said the third-year undergraduate management and marketing student.
Ms Adi recently returned to Bahrain, after spending seven months in Damascus and Hama, to continue her studies at Ahlia University.
She said that she shudders to think of what might have happened had she stayed longer. “Thank God my family is physically unharmed,” she added, “but at least three families I’m related to have lost their homes in Aleppo.
“The buildings they live in were destroyed and now they’re homeless. Other relatives in Hama, which has also been damaged, have opened their homes to welcome them, of course, as they did when I visited.”
Ms Adi, whose parents and four siblings live in Saudi Arabia, added that the citizens of Syria remained ‘emotionally crushed’ after a decade-long civil war, struggling without regular supplies of electricity and drinking water. The natural disaster, she believes, will only make matters worse with sub-zero temperatures to endure and a lack of fuel for generators.
“Many young people have fled Syria and the elderly have been left to fend for themselves,” she added. “They can’t run away and many also can’t regularly communicate with people outside the country because they don’t have electricity to charge their phones.”
A Turkish expatriate also voiced her concerns over the disaster as international help arrives to assist local services to reach people trapped under the rubble of collapsed apartment blocks.
“I have friends who have lost loved ones and know of others who cannot reach their parents back home in Türkiye,” said mural painter and freelance art teacher Çağla Akpınar who lives in Riffa.
“The earthquake and its aftershocks were so strong and were felt by people living miles away from the epicentre.”
The 27-year-old, from the Turkish capital of Ankara, said her family members evacuated their homes and waited for hours outside in the cold for fear of further earthquakes.
Türkiye Disaster and Emergency Management Authority yesterday urged its citizens not to enter damaged buildings.
Seyma Saricimen, a Turkish 34-year-old fitness trainer and pilates instructor who lives in Saar, has managed to contact members of her family.
“My parents are in Istanbul so they are not close to the earthquake so, hamdellah, they’re safe but extremely saddened by what has happened to our country and to a lot of people we know.
“My cousins, however, are from areas that were affected called Hatay and they haven’t heard from all their relatives yet.
“My sister-in-law is also living in a place that was hit called Maras, and news from them is that 90 per cent of the buildings have collapsed or in a bad shape.
“People are very sad, scared,shocked and currently trying to process what has happened while trying to find loved ones, or to be there for people grieving.”
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