5,000 folks at the moment are reported to have died within the two earthquakes that devastated elements of southern Turkey and northern Syria earlier this month, however the destruction in Syria has made a determined scenario even worse for thousands and thousands of individuals residing within the nation. ‘s civilians survived. struggle.
Now a Calgary girl is taking motion to assist these in her homeland – a spot the place it has been difficult to ship support.
Aya Mhana moved to Calgary as a refugee from Syria seven years in the past – her mother and father and sister nonetheless stay there, together with buddies struggling to outlive within the earthquake-stricken space.
“Typically I could not handle to listen to all of the tales as a result of I had nightmares. I can not specific my emotions as a result of I used to be in shock, so think about how these folks really feel there,” stated Mhana.
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“I felt helpless due to the circumstances my folks had been going via. It’s a catastrophe on prime of a catastrophe.”
Mhana has taken her emotions of despair and turned to her music – she is going to carry out songs she wrote in regards to the heartache in Syria at a fundraiser in Calgary referred to as Rise from the Rubble.
Raghda Azzam, who moved to Calgary from Lebanon as a scholar, helps to prepare the occasion.
“Syria and Lebanon, geographically to me really feel like one nation,” Azzam stated.
“We’re separated by a border, however passports fall once we see humanity calling us. It impacts so many individuals right here and it touched me a bit bit as a result of I used to be in Syria. Syria is a lovely nation – the Syrian persons are stunning folks. They’re additionally my folks, and so it’s with somebody in Ukraine — they’re additionally my folks. So it touches my coronary heart,” Azzam stated.
Even earlier than the earthquakes, getting support to elements of Syria was fraught with political and logistical challenges.
For years, overseas support was funneled via Turkey to northwestern Syria due to the issue of passing via Damascus. Now southern Turkey has been closely broken by the earthquake and Bashar Assad’s authorities in Damascus nonetheless faces sanctions.
“It makes it a lot tougher to get the stuff to Syria than it’s to Turkey,” Azzam stated.
“Syrians are holding on to a really skinny thread of hope and that skinny thread of hope broke after the earthquake.”
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Despite the fact that Mhana began her life once more when she fled the struggle in Syria, she is grateful to be in Canada the place she might help these in better want.
“I am begging folks to care,” she stated. “In Syria they’ve to start out from scratch. They sweat, they spend their lives constructing these homes and now they don’t have anything. There may be nothing left for these folks.
“Individuals in Canada are affected by the inflation and they’re struggling, but when you concentrate on your day by day life, we’re very blessed and now we have all the things to thrive to not survive, however folks there are ravenous for bread.”
The Rise from the Rubble occasion might be held on March 18.
“This can be a cultural occasion. There might be music and meals and poetry. There are going to be folks from that area. Their fingers are a bit tied in order that they go there simply to supply help,” Azzam stated.
“This occasion is an opportunity for everybody to return and find out about Syria, find out about our music.
“100% of the proceeds go to folks on the bottom who we all know work day and evening to assist and help.”
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