A woman describes the shock after 72 members of her family were killed in the Turkey-Syria earthquake | world News

“I will never be able to forget what happened – I can still feel the ground shaking,” Rana Bitar says, her voice clearing her throat.

The head of the charity says she lost 72 members of her extended family in the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last year.

“I felt terrified, afraid, and anxious,” she told Sky News, appearing close to tears as she recalled the moment when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region, killing tens of thousands of people.

“At first, I didn't know what was happening. I thought it was a war, that we were being bombed. I heard the sounds of explosions.”

At the time, Ms. Bitar was alone at home with her two-and-a-half-year-old son in Gaziantep, Turkey, near the epicenter of the earthquake.

As her apartment shook, she picked up the child and rushed down seven flights of stairs and out into “extremely cold weather” and snow. They were wearing pajamas and Mrs. Bitar was walking barefoot.

Please use Chrome browser for an easily accessible video player

00:59 February 2023: Drone footage shows devastation in Antakya

“It was terrible,” she says. “I was just thinking about my child, my parents and my family.

“I remembered my whole life. I called my mother in Belgium and told her: If something happens to me, I just wanted to say goodbye.”

Mrs Bitar, her husband and their son spent the next eight days in their car and at a nearby mosque.

At first, they did not know what had happened or the extent of the death and destruction caused by the earthquake.

After learning of the extent of the disaster on the news and discovering that she had lost her family, friends and colleagues, Ms Bitar says she had a nervous breakdown.

She says the 72 members of her extended family who died were related to her on her father's side. They fled together from Latakia, Syria, to Hatay, Turkey, the worst-hit province.

Image: Destroyed houses in Antakya, Hatay, Turkey. Photo: AP

She says: Entire families were wiped out, including Ms. Bitar's uncle and aunt, and their children and grandchildren. The youngest relative to die was five years old, while the oldest was 79 years old.

She says: “Losing so many loved ones and relatives was very sad and painful. I cried a lot.” “I cannot explain the fear I have felt since the day the earthquake happened.

“A few days ago I was having lunch with my husband and he started shaking his leg – I was terrified and asked him if there was another earthquake happening.”

Hidden health problems

More than a year after the earthquake struck on February 6, 2023, many survivors are reeling from the trauma of losing loved ones and suffering from hidden health problems.

The earthquake killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and about 5,900 people in Syria, while leaving millions homeless.

Image: Hatay in Türkiye was the worst affected province. Photo: AP

In addition to the physical injuries sustained in the disaster, survivors suffered from psychological problems, including insomnia and eating disorders, according to Madara Hettiarachchi, program director at the Disaster Emergency Committee.

She says there has been a marked increase in psychological problems as the anniversary approaches. “The aftershocks haven't helped, and the isolation in the container camps is a double whammy,” she told Sky News.

Hettiarachchi says many survivors found themselves breaking down in tears, adding: “There was a lot of crying, a lot of feeling vulnerable.

“Some people thought they were over it. 'I thought I was strong, I thought I was coping well, but I feel really emotional and like it's taking a back seat,'” one woman said.

“Diseases are easy to spread.”

More than three million people were displaced by the earthquake, which flattened towns and caused widespread destruction in cities, leaving many who lost their homes and are living in temporary housing as they struggle to find new places to live.

The Environmental Protection Committee says about 787,000 people were still living in flimsy shelters, tents and so-called container cities in Turkey, as of December last year, where they are most at risk of respiratory diseases and seasonal influenza, as well as scabies, lice and cholera. .

Photo: A child in Antakya in Hatay, Türkiye, in January. Pic: AP Photo: Many displaced people live in containers. Photo: Reuters

“They are small, crowded spaces and there is very limited water and sanitation, so it is easy for diseases to spread,” warns Ms. Hettiarachchi. She says relief agencies have focused on promoting hygiene and providing disaster relief such as hygiene kits, which include bath soap, laundry soap, toothbrushes and sanitary pads.

Some 15 million people in Syria were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the disaster struck, with damage to water pipes and water tanks increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.

Many aid workers say there has been an increase in miscarriages and premature births after the quake, while some mothers have had difficulty breastfeeding.

Photo: A camp in the rebel-controlled Syrian town of Janders. Photo: Reuters

“Earthquakes and other disasters have a profound impact on stress levels not only within communities but especially among pregnant women,” Ozlem Kudert Kokmez, a sexual and reproductive health advisor at Médecins du Monde in Turkey, told Sky News.

“Pregnancy and childbirth, which are already stressful, become more difficult when combined with factors such as degree of exposure to earthquakes, loss of relatives, family breakdown, or moving to new environments.”

Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may use cookies and other technology. In order to show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to adjust your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to only allow these cookies once. You can change your settings at any time via the privacy options. Unfortunately, we are unable to verify whether you have consented to Spreaker cookies. To view this content, you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only. Enable cookies Allow cookies once

Click to subscribe to Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

High rates of gender-based violence

Ms Kokmez says there have been increases in gender-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as early marriage and child labour, amid unemployment, limited access to basic needs, mental health issues and trauma.

In response to these risks, charities such as Space Of Peace – the organization Ms Bitar leads – offer safe spaces and psychosocial support to women, as well as offering them workshops to learn English and other skills to help them find jobs. Amidst the deteriorating economic situation.

Read more: Ex-Premier League footballer found dead in rubble sparks outrage over building standards in wake of deadly earthquake

Syrian refugees – who fled to Turkey from nearly 13 years of civil war – saw the earthquake adding more misery to their plight. “These people have lost their homes several times,” says Ms. Bitar. “First when they went from Syria to Turkey, and then again after the earthquake. They are struggling on many levels.”

In addition to the psychological damage resulting from the disaster, about 70% of the 118,000 people injured in the earthquake suffer from long-term rehabilitation problems, according to the World Health Organization. In response, charities are providing physiotherapy, wheelchairs and crutches.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to supply 200,000 homes across the earthquake-affected region by the end of the year.

Ms. Hettiarachchi believes there is reason for optimism, saying: “Hearing the stories from aid workers and people who have benefited from humanitarian aid, there is some kind of relief, there is progress.”

But she adds: “It is useful to remember the scale of the matter. Any response, whether by government or humanitarian agencies, pales in comparison. It is as if we are just scratching the surface.”

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos