Raqqa residents stay on streets in fear of homes collapsing

Thousands of terrified residents of the city of Raqqa in northern Syria fled into streets and public squares, afraid that their homes might cave in on them, in the aftermath of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck southeast Turkey and northwest Syria at dawn on Monday 6 February.

The massive earthquake, which was followed by a second one and dozens of aftershocks across the region, caused severe damage to the already fragile buildings and infrastructure of Raqqa, much of which was never repaired after the devastating bombardment of the city during the war against Islamic State (IS).

Residents have been in a state of fear and dread following the quake. Mohammed Abdul Aziz, a Raqqa resident, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site: "The people here have been in a state of panic since dawn [yesterday]. Since then, most have remained outside in the streets, squares, and parks – they are terrified their unstable, cracked homes might collapse on top of them."

Many of the city's structures suffered extensive damage during extensive and heavy bombardment over the last decade; by the Syrian regime, Russia, and the international coalition during its war on IS. This has left many buildings - such as the Al-Nouri building and the Al-Rashid complex - on the verge of collapse, especially in the Al-Kahraba and al-Thaqana neighborhoods and Al Nour Street.

Local authorities announced that they are ensuring hospitals are ready and prepared in the event of further tremors or earthquakes.

Wael Juma, another Raqqa resident, said that the damage in Raqqa has been mostly superficial. However he added that there had been injuries in other areas of northeast Syria which lie under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

"Parts of the outer wall of the citadel have collapsed, the old bath house has been damaged, and some of the buildings in the Manbij souq are damaged," he added.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), over 70% of Raqqa's buildings were destroyed or damaged during the military campaign against IS. Schools, hospitals, parks and houses were flattened and other infrastructure across the city severely damaged.

There are no shelters in the city to provide refuge to the city's residents who fled their crumbling homes and remain outside in freezing conditions. However, Raqqa council's Initial Response Team and Internal Security Forces are providing support and equipment for cases of emergency and for rescue.

While Raqqa houses around 130 civil organisations, none of them are sufficiently equipped for emergencies or natural disasters of this kind. Those suffering most are women, children, elderly and those with chronic health conditions.

A local source said that the SDF-governed Local Municipalities and Environment Authority set up a disaster distress hotline for the swift contact of rescue teams in emergencies, following a meeting yesterday.

The region of northeast Syria which lies under the control of the SDF and the associated Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) suffers from a lack of basic services in all sectors, particularly the health sector, and local councils and organisations in the region have struggled to respond effectively in the face of the myriad challenges faced by the region.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition. To read the original article, click here.