A Syrian survivor remembers the devastating Türkiye earthquake

A Syrian father who survived the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey last year said he keeps water bottles next to his bed in case the disaster strikes again.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused widespread destruction on February 6 last year, killing about 60,000 people in Turkey and neighboring Syria. Thousands of homes were destroyed.

Muhammad Jaafar, 46, and his family survived the earthquake when the walls collapsed around them in their home in Antakya, southern Turkey.

Jaafar, a father of two children aged six and eight, said he is still haunted by the earthquake 12 months later.

“We were all mentally affected after what we saw. I always go to sleep with enough water bottles near my bed as a survival tactic if the apartment collapses during another earthquake,” Mr Jaafar told The National.

“Many earthquake survivors said the water was enough for them to survive for several days until they were rescued from the rubble.”

As buildings collapsed around Jaafar and his family, he led his wife and children out of their apartment on the ground floor of the 11-storey building to call for help.

Mr. Jaafar's apartment in Antakya was destroyed by the earthquake that struck Turkey on February 6 last year. Photography: Muhammad Jaafar

Mr Jaafar said the family spent days sleeping in their car after the earthquake as it was not safe to return to their home.

They then moved to Gaziantep where his brother, sister and other family members lived.

“I rented a studio for my family. We are still afraid of new earthquakes. We sleep together away from cupboards or any heavy objects to avoid them collapsing on us if another big earthquake happens,” he added.

As Turkey continues to rebuild, the mental scars suffered by millions of those affected remain.

“I still sleep because of fear and anxiety, thinking that something bad will happen to us while we sleep,” Mr. Jaafar said.

Homes were destroyed by the earthquake that struck Antakya, Türkiye. Photography: Muhammad Jaafar

Mr Jaafar said he was under so much stress that he started smoking cigarettes again, despite quitting before the earthquake.

“I was able to quit the habit after years of smoking, but now I smoke because of anxiety,” he said.

The earthquake was quickly followed by a second earthquake of equal strength, with a series of aftershocks.

Mr. Jaafar visited his apartment in Antakya a few months ago and said his house was unrecognizable.

“I couldn’t recognize my building because it was completely destroyed, along with all the other buildings in the neighborhood. It was just piles of rubble in front of me.”

Mr. Jaafar said he visited his former home and found a vast, unrecognizable land. Photography: Muhammad Jaafar

“I could only locate the building through a nearby school that remained intact.”

Mr. Jaafar said that communities live in the area in caravans.

Government agencies also operate through caravans, as well as providing some of them with basic needs for residents who have decided to stay.

“There are still some houses and a few people, but all you can see is a vast land that was bustling with people a year ago,” he added.

He said his family received rent support from the government, which has since increased.

“Government support was extended for another year but rental prices rose due to high demand. I could not get a studio for my family on the fifth floor or in a building in Gaziantep,” he said.

Mr. Jaafar, who works with an NGO, said he is still looking for a more suitable house for his family, preferably on the ground floor.

“It is a difficult task because options are limited due to the high demand from people who have migrated to the city in search of shelter,” he said.

He added that his family has embraced their new life in Gaziantep and that his children are already enrolled in the local school.

“I feel like I am not stable or stable yet,” Jaafar said. “The earthquake changed our lives.”

Updated: February 05, 2024 at 11:29 AM

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