Gaziantep -

After the catastrophe of the devastating earthquake, Hudhaifa Al-Othman (a Syrian refugee, 37 years old) lost his house in the center of the city of Gaziantep, in southern Turkey, as it was exposed to cracks that made it uninhabitable, and the authorities decided to demolish it later.

Hudhayfa al-Othman is not the only one whose life was disturbed after the earthquake, as hundreds of Syrian refugees suffer because of the cracked houses, which forced them to live in random places or crowd more than one family in one house, while others moved to other states, while there are those who decided to return to Syria permanently. .

Al-Othman told Al-Jazeera Net: "I went to see the house after the earthquake. The destruction was evident in the rooms of the house, the corridors and the outer walls. I tried to carry what I could carry and left it."

The young man adds that the authorities decided to demolish the house after examining it, which made him move to his friend's house to reside temporarily, while he is looking for a new house for rent amid the high rents, and he is also looking for a job opportunity after he lost his job as well.


temporary livelihood

Although nearly a month has passed since the disaster of the earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, the effects of shock are still evident on the faces of many of the survivors we interviewed.

Among them is Qusay al-Hassan, who lost his job after the earthquake and was forced to work in another field.

Al-Hassan says, "Work in the field of construction is currently suspended, as most of the employers are either outside the city or have temporarily suspended their activities."

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, he added, "We used to get paid on a weekly basis, and because of its scarcity, we could not save some extra money, which made us fall into a financial crisis. Now, I found work in sewing workshops, but I don't know how long the situation will remain like this."

Due to the narrow situation in southern Turkey and the lack of a future horizon, it seems that returning to Syria has become the last option for some, such as Bassam Al-Muhammad.

In his interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Muhammad says, "The owner of his house asked him for the house with a month's notice to vacate it, which made him think of returning to Syria, after he lost hope of finding a house for rent that would suit his monthly income."

House rents in the city have risen remarkably, while homes on the ground and first floors have become the most preferred by residents.


Turkish aid

Many Syrian refugees in Gaziantep have received letters to receive an aid package worth 10,000 Turkish liras (a dollar is about 19 liras) after their homes were inspected, and it was found that they had suffered light or moderate damage or were at risk of demolition.

Bashar, one of the Syrian refugees who received this letter and received the money, says, "The money came at the right time, as it helped him settle in the city of Kayseri temporarily, pending the disappearance of the danger of aftershocks that occur daily."

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, he adds that government financial assistance arrived after assessing his house for light damage and that it is habitable.

On the other hand, there are many Syrian refugees who did not receive these letters despite the deteriorating condition of their homes following the earthquake, apparently because their addresses were not legally restricted, which prevented them from receiving this assistance.


Individual and voluntary initiatives

After the earthquake disaster, many volunteer initiatives were formed among the Syrian refugees, with the aim of helping the afflicted, who were severely affected by the disaster.

Nasser Al-Ali, one of these initiators, tells Al-Jazeera Net that he "joined a group of Syrian volunteers that was formed after the earthquake, as it now includes more than 200 volunteer members, including doctors of various specializations, businessmen, field activists, and others."

Al-Ali adds that they have contributed, through individual donations, to supplying more than 50 Syrian families in Gaziantep with tents and blankets, and have also helped more than 20 families secure temporary shelter for them in homes in which no damage has occurred.