The authorities in regime-held areas continue to announce the increase in the number of buildings that toppled as a result of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria early on Monday, leaving more than 5000 people dead.
The official statements come amid circulating footage and appeals of people sleeping in the streets after they lost their homes and were left without shelter.
In light of the limited government response compared to the scale of the disaster, many individual and local initiatives were launched to respond to the disaster and to secure shelters in various regions.
Initiatives do not fill the need
Syrians on social media have circulated many posts about restaurant owners in various governorates announcing the reception of those affected.
Some hotels announced their readiness to receive the survivors free of charge while providing them with basic needs, including the Al-Qasr (The Palace) hotel in Latakia and the Zaytouna hotel in Damascus.
For their part, many people spoke of their readiness to receive the affected people in their homes, and some expatriates and refugees who own homes took the initiative to offer their homes for shelter.
The private Al-Sham University also launched an initiative to receive families who have lost their homes, in addition to initiatives by the owners of event halls and sports halls for accommodation.
Some volunteer teams have also launched initiatives to detect buildings that have been exposed to cracks or partial collapse, in addition to initiatives to distribute foodstuffs, blankets, and first aid materials.
On the other hand, the Syria Trust for Development, linked to Asma al-Assad, the wife of the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, announced the preparation of shelters in various governorates.
The National Union of Syrian Students (NUSS) also announced the preparation of rooms in some university dormitories and halls in universities to receive the affected families.
In turn, the Syrian Trade Corporation went to distribute foodstuffs to the affected people on the roads and the shelters.
According to what Enab Baladi monitored on social media, despite the repeated talk of various government agencies about responding to the disaster and heading to help those affected who lost their homes, hundreds of families are facing the tragedy of searching for shelter.
One of the shelters equipped by the Syria Trust for Development – 6 February 2023 (Syria Trust for Development/Facebook)
Transport crisis
Dozens of people stuck on the roads continue to appeal to secure transportation to take them to the whereabouts of their families and relatives in other governorates, especially university students who come to universities from other governorates.
According to what Enab Baladi monitored, the main bus stations are witnessing severe congestion, especially in the most affected governorates, especially Aleppo and Latakia.
This prompted many car and bus owners to go to the main roads between the governorates and transport people stuck on the roads.
According to the latest statistics of the regime’s health ministry, the death toll in regime-held areas reached a total of 812, while 1,449 people have been injured in the governorates of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Tartus, and Idlib countryside.
The damaged buildings were concentrated in the governorates of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus, as the number of completely demolished buildings in those governorates exceeded 176 as of the moment of publishing this report.
The number of destroyed buildings in Aleppo governorate reached 52, while the number of victims in the latest statistics reached 266 deaths, according to the latest statistics issued by the governorate.
The number of damaged buildings in Latakia governorate reached 102, in addition to 4 buildings in Hama and 18 buildings in Tartus.
Meanwhile, the regime airports keep receiving aid and rescue teams from allied countries, such as Iran and Russia, or those that have relations with the regime, such as Iraq and Algeria.