Syria. Matteo Crosetti, Regional Coordinator Middle East, recounts the situation two months after the earthquake

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03-04-2023 | di COOPI

Syria. Matteo Crosetti, Regional Coordinator Middle East, recounts the situation two months after the earthquake

During the course of last week, Matteo Crosetti, Regional Coordinator of the Middle East of COOPI-Cooperazione Internazionale, visited the headquarters in Milan to discuss humanitarian interventions in the area. His visit, two months after the earthquake that shook Syria, gave us the opportunity to gather his testimony on the current situation in Aleppo, where he recently went on a mission.

"Travelling from Damascus to Aleppo by car, I was struck by the devastation spreading from one part of the country to the other: the effects of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake added to those of a crisis that entered its thirteenth year in March. Even before the earthquake, there were 15 million people in need; to these were added approximately 2 million more because of the earthquake."

How did we deal with the first weeks after the earthquake?

"COOPI, as the photographs on the ground show, was immediately operational in Aleppo, thanks to the presence of its local staff. A staff that suffered damage and family losses, as did the community, but was able to respond professionally to the emergency. A staff, also, that was able to count on the help and solidarity of other COOPI colleagues who arrived quickly and spontaneously from other areas of Syria.

How has our intervention changed in these two months?

"Thanks to the allocation of the COOPI fund for emergencies, we immediately helped 4,500 people by distributing survival materials such as torches, blankets, hygiene kits, and dignity kits; later, thanks also to the generosity of our Italian supporters, we reached 15,000 people, adding the regular supply of food parcels and the implementation of psycho-social support activities for children and young people. To date, we are supporting 30,000 beneficiaries.

What will we do in the future?

"In the next few days, we will open three new humanitarian assistance projects, which will allow us to reach the cities of Hama and Latakkia, as well as continue to intervene in Aleppo. The most we will do is to help those who still have a home to return to it, overcoming fear and making the necessary repairs. In this way, we count on helping an additional 25,000 people'.

What has been the response of Syrian civil society?

'It has been surprising. In spite of the destabilisation caused by 13 years of crisis, and an earthquake that has caused very serious damage, civil society has given great proof of itself, activating itself for first aid and structuring a strong network of cooperation'.

How is the population living today?

"In Aleppo, many families are desperate, they cannot afford to meet their basic food needs. There is no electricity, petrol is rationed weekly. Many have lost their jobs. Those left homeless are living in absolutely precarious conditions in schools or tent camps amidst the rubble. The emergency will continue and it is necessary to find new means, new finances and new tools to deal with it."

To help the people of Aleppo, you can donate to COOPI with the cause 'Earthquake emergency' like this