31-03-2024 | di COOPI

Syria. Rebuilding hope from the rubble

On Feb. 6, 2023, the earthquake that shook the foundations of Syria left behind a trail of devastation and marked the lives of countless families. Among them is the family of Rama, who saw their home crumble under the seismic force. COOPI's financial support enabled them to rebuild a normal life.

The one-room rented house of Rama and his three children, in the Al-Saleheen neighborhood of Karm Al-Afandi, was already unsuitable for habitation because of cracks in the ceiling that allowed rainwater to seep through. The earthquake shocks left Rama's family in the rubble, in dire financial condition. Rama's children had to drop out of school and began searching on the streets for leftover food to eat and sell, and reusing garbage for heating and cooking.

Their dramatic story was able to change when, in September 2023, the COOPI-Cooperazione Internazionale team launched the project "Emergency Intervention to Respond to the Urgent and Life-Saving Food Security Needs of the Most Vulnerable Families Affected by the Earthquake in Aleppo and Hama," thanks to the UN Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) Humanitarian Funds for Syria. The intervention addresses the food needs of many earthquake-affected families living in temporary shelters in the most damaged areas of rural Aleppo and Hama by providing economic support to ensure their recovery.

Rama's family was also able to benefit from the program, receiving financial aid for five months. Thanks to the newfound resources, the family secured essential food items, their children stopped collecting garbage, and their youngest returned to school. The eldest son, who had fallen ill from the dangerous practice of burning collected nylon for heat, was able to receive the treatment he needed to return to health. Thanks to the financial support, Rama's family not only resumed food security, but was also able to achieve greater economic stability and lead a more peaceful life.

COOPI has been working in Syria since 2016 and is present in the areas of rural Damascus, Dara'a, Hama, Homs, Raqqa, Lattakia, and Aleppo with projects in protection, education, food assistance, and support for family-based agricultural production. These were complemented by earthquake response activities, which enabled COOPI to assist more than 200,000 people by providing immediate relief and supporting the long-term recovery of affected communities through its own, private and institutional funds.