Deir Ballut refugee camp Afrin countryside Syria became a safe refuge to survivors of the February 6 earthquake that hit the country.
Hundreds of families are living in Deir Ballut camp including more than 270 Palestinian families.
After the massive earthquake 30 families from the neighboring affected areas moved to live in it.
The refugee Muhammad Asouli who lost his home during the earthquake told the PIC reporter that he was forced to take refuge in Deir Ballut camp despite the difficult living conditions.
“I did not have any other option. Living in a tent in the camp is better than staying in the street in this cold weather” he added.
He further pointed out that the earthquake has deepened their suffering calling on the international humanitarian organizations to alleviate their suffering.
For her part the Palestinian refugee Rima Fawaz said that the tents protected the camp’s residents during the earthquake but it is still suffering from lack of relief aid.
Fawaz pointed out that many humanitarian organizations distributed relief aid to the newly displaced families but the camp already suffers many humanitarian crises which makes it ineligible to receive more displaced people.
The camp’s residents whether Palestinians or Syrians have not received relief aid for 3 months despite the severe cold wave she added.
The relief efforts have resumed following the earthquake but they should not stop she continued.
The devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake near the Türkiye-Syria border in the early hours of Monday 6 February 2023 caused one of the biggest disasters to impact the region in recent times.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and many more have been injured. Thousands of buildings have collapsed leaving countless people exposed to unforgiving winter conditions. Schools and hospitals have been destroyed.
The earthquake struck as the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria a home for 1500 Palestinian families was already at the highest level.
