Syria earthquake: One Year On
It has been a year since the earthquake of 6 February 2023 struck Turkey and Syria. Through our partner MERATH, we continue to work with churches in Northern Syria as they provide vital support to families still struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastation and amid an unrelenting economic crisis.
One of the churches sent us this update:
Syria already was, and is still, suffering from economic crises and deteriorating living conditions. For more than a decade, we have tried to support the groups most affected by the economic conditions – families, children and youth, the elderly – with various relief and development assistance. We distribute food, milk, diapers and hygiene supplies; help with health services, winter items; and provide vocational trainings, small grants and scholarships. Our work has expanded since the beginning of the Syrian war to reach around a thousand beneficiaries. We continue with a goal of reaching the largest number of beneficiaries.
Distributing food parcels.
When the earthquake happened, the feeling of fear, confusion, and insecurity was overwhelming at first. But quickly, the sense of responsibility took over, as we started to respond to the material and psychological consequences of this tragedy.
Right from the start, the church opened its doors to the affected and displaced. For a period of one month, the people who had taken refuge in the church were provided with food, water, heating, blankets, supplies for infants, medicine, and psychological support especially for children and youth.
For the first month after the earthquake people continued to shelter in the church building.
Later, the committee took recovery steps through assistance to restore homes of affected people, financial grants and monthly vouchers to ease the burden of living conditions on those affected, in addition to the relief and health assistance provided by MERATH’s implementing partner in Syria.
The circumstances in Syria have kept deteriorating. The country is experiencing surreal inflation, and most of the necessary and vital good – such as food and medicine - have become completely unaffordable to most people. We think unemployment will remain very high, which means more poverty and lack of purchasing power.
Rapidly rising food prices means families cannot afford the basics.
Our church works very hard to meet the needs of families during these exceptionally hard times in our country. Our spiritual and humanitarian message calls us to persevere and overcome difficulties with God’s grace and the help of partners like you.
We believe the role and responsibility of the church is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus met both the spiritual and the physical needs of the people, and so we are to do the same.
No matter how desperate things might seem, we believe that “All things work together for good for those who love God” and we witnessed how God can turn even the saddest misfortunes into opportunities to bring people closer to Him.