For Syrians, earthquakes bring on yet another disaster

It is the latest disaster for a people who have already suffered much.

The images of Syrians, young and old, helplessly being pulled out from under the rubble have sadly become a common sight over the nearly 12 years of war in Syria, particularly in the opposition-held northwest of the country.

But this time it was not air raids or shelling, but a natural phenomenon that was responsible.

The pain and suffering have been no less real.

Hundreds of people have already been confirmed dead as a result of Monday’s earthquakes across northern Syria, in both government-held and opposition-controlled areas – and the number is only expected to rise.

The catastrophe will only make living conditions for those in the area – many of them internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been living in poverty after fleeing government-held areas – worse.

“Millions have already been forced to flee by war in the wider region and now many more will be displaced by disaster,” the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement. “In the midst of a winter storm and an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, it is vital that Syrians are not left to face the aftermath on their own.”

But Syrians have often been left on their own, with international attention on the long-running conflict and the plight of the Syrian people decreasing.

Even the mandate for aid to get into opposition-held areas of Syria from the United Nations has to be renewed every six months, leaving locals feeling a sense of constant uncertainty as to whether they will get the assistance they need to survive.