What were your first impressions on arriving in areas directly impacted by the earthquake?

My visits to the earthquake-affected governorates were a complete eye-opener. Even before I travelled there, I had realized that I had been entirely wrong in assuming that the conditions in 2022 were the worst ever in Syrian history. This was when nine in ten people are living in poverty and over 15 million people were in dire need of humanitarian assistance after 12 long years of compounding effects of multiple crises that include the active conflict and large-scale displacement; the progressive breakdown of essential services (like water and electricity; health and education); consecutive years of severe drought, the Lebanese financial meltdown which affected millions of Syrians; the COVID-19 pandemic, the massive depreciation of the Syrian Currency and then a Cholera outbreak followed by a major scarcity of fuel. The catastrophic event of 06 February came at a significantly higher cost as it caught millions completely unprepared with shock and despair, soon turning into a total collapse of hope. Although unsurprising, years of capacity depletion had rendered the local authorities ill-equipped to respond to a disaster of such magnitude. The bereft of adequately trained staff, essential equipment, fuel, etc., were up against the odds. Even the field staff of the humanitarian agencies were affected, limiting their response capacities. 

Not only the collapse of numerous buildings had resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of severe injuries it has left large numbers of people in a complete state of trauma, mostly homeless or much too scared to go back indoors. As most buildings housed both homes and businesses, supplies of day-to-day goods were disrupted, and many jobs were lost overnight. Many survivors struggled to bury their near and dear or attend to those in hospitals while also patiently waiting for experts with equipment to remove debris and help them retrieve their valuables buried under the rubble. 

Most makeshift shelters lacked proper management capacities, and facilities were inadequate for the thousands they were housing. I visited two such shelters and found both swarming with thousands of children, women and men, many with disabilities without anything to keep them warm. Most residents I met were in complete shock and needed immediate psychosocial support. The most noticeable gaps were the lack of any partitions for privacy and the very few functioning toilets. Many lacked proper water supply and lighting, exposing the shelter inhabitants, especially women and children, to serious public health and protection risks. While relief supplies were pouring in, proper distribution based on actual needs was yet to start. Even the number of people within the shelters was changing, with many new families moving in and many others who had managed to find better alternatives with families or friends moving out.

I was also struck by the sea of humanity around me. Anybody and everybody, be them faith groups, local associations, even families and individuals who felt able to help, were out and about distributing food and other essentials or simply volunteering to help in any form.