Sakhaa al-Mousa was jolted awake in her apartment in Atarib, northwest Syria when a 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck on February 6. Before she had time to comprehend what was happening, the three-storey building she and her family were in collapsed, trapping them underneath. After three and a half hours, she was pulled out alive, but her husband, two young sons, and sister-in-law did not survive. Four days later, al-Mousa gave birth to a son and named him after his father, Omar.
The devastation in the rebel-held northwest was compounded by the delay in humanitarian aid and the absence of international efforts in search-and-rescue operations. The Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, was at the forefront of digging through rubble with limited resources. They announced the end of their rescue efforts four days after the quakes took place. Deputy director of the White Helmets, Munir al-Mustafa, said that the lack of heavy equipment and trained police dogs hindered their ability to respond in a timely manner. He also pointed to the aftershocks, cold winter weather, and heavy rain in the first two days following the quakes which impeded rescue operations and led to further concrete collapses.
The quakes have only compounded the psychological trauma of residents of the territory – which is home to more than four million Syrians, half of whom are internally displaced by Syria’s 12-year war and have fled government-controlled areas. Healthcare experts have warned that earthquake survivors might develop longer-term mental health problems, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Tariq al-Sayel lost two of his six children when his apartment building fell in the town of Absinya. He also lost 70 relatives on both sides of his family. Mahmoud Omar al-Ormi recounted how he lost almost his entire family, including his pregnant wife and four of his six children. He was pulled out alive after eight hours, but his wife and five other children were found dead.
The White Helmets lost four members along with their families and documented the collapse of more than 550 buildings, while more than 1,570 buildings were partially damaged and thousands of buildings and homes were cracked throughout the earthquake-hit areas. More than 46,000 people have been killed, with the death toll expected to climb as many people are still missing.
Sakhaa al-Mousa’s story is one among many who lost entire families to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The tragedy has left many survivors with psychological trauma and grief that will take a long time to heal. The White Helmets have done their best to help with limited resources, but more international efforts are needed to provide aid to those affected by this disaster.