HADEEL Al-OMAR

Idlib- Two devastating earthquakes that struck many cities of Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023 killed more than 100.000 people, injured thousands and destroyed thousands buildings. The quake survivors still struggle to survive while grieving the loss of their loved ones.

‘I could not a place to take shelter’

Some Syrian refugees living in Turkey during the earthquakes had to return to Syria due to the lack of shelter and hate speech against them. Maryam Al-Haritani, a thirty-eight-year old mother of three, lost her husband in the earthquakes. She returned to Idlib because of the hate speeches against Syrians in Turkey. She told us:

 “My house collapsed in the earthquakes. We searched for shelter but we could not find a place to take shelter. We were told, ‘Return to Syria’. We were not given even a tent. Now, we live in the town of Sarmada; however, there are not enough tents here.”

 ‘We face housing problem in Idlib’

After the earthquakes, Rawan Al-Masri (44) returned to Syria from Turkey with her husband and six children. She worked in Turkey for years to build a new life for her family; however, she lost her relatives and house in the earthquakes. After the earthquakes, rents have increased across Turkey. “We could not find a place to take shelter. The rents increased in Turkey after the earthquakes. We could not afford to rent a flat anymore. Therefore, we decided to return to Idlib; however, rents have increased in Idlib, too. We face a housing problem in Idlib, too. We are searching for a tent now.”

Hate speech against refugees in Turkey

 Another quake survivor Lamaa al-Qamron da (42) found a tent after two months. “Syrian refugees could find jobs in Turkey before the earthquakes; however, we could not meet even our basic needs after the earthquakes. The earthquakes also led to hate speech against refugees in Turkey. We did not feel safe in Turkey anymore. For this reason, many Syrian refugees decided to return to Syria despite the ongoing conflicts.”