He lost his entire family in the earthquake.

Khadija Qasim was making a living as a seamstress when two deadly earthquakes rocked her country and neighbouring Turkey. The 53-year-old had fled the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, seeking refuge with her children in the town of Jindires. But the earthquake turned everything to rubble, killing more than 50,000 people, leaving thousands missing, and millions homeless.

Khadija's eldest son was killed, and her second eldest, Mahamad, had to have his arm and leg amputated. Khadija herself had to have surgeries and had her foot amputated. They now live in a tent in a camp, and Khadija is unable to help her son walk due to a lack of a wheelchair.

What happened to Khadija and Mahamad is all too common in Syria, as rescue teams from all over the world poured into Turkey immediately after the earthquake, but people in Syria were left to fend for themselves. Thousands of seriously injured people still await prosthetics and assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, and physical therapy.

Ali Al-Ahmad is one of the teenagers Relief International and its partner on the ground, the National Syrian Project for Prosthetic Limbs, are helping at their centre in Hatay. After the earthquake struck, Ali's mother, father, and four of his five siblings were killed. Ali himself was stuck under the rubble for three days and had to have his entire leg, including his thigh, amputated. He's now doing physical therapy in preparation for getting a prosthetic leg, and hopes to become more independent once he gets it.

Nadim Hassan is another survivor of the earthquake. His wife and three of their four children were killed, and only him and his eight-year-old son Habib survived. Originally from near Aleppo, Nadim and his family were living in Hatay when the earthquake struck. He was trapped under rubble for four days before being rescued, and doctors had no choice but to amputate his leg.

Relief International offers disability support centres in Hatay, Kilis, Mersin, Adana, Istanbul, Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, and Malatya. They also have mobile teams to help people in the areas most impacted by the earthquakes. Through this support, survivors like Khadija, Mahamad, Ali, and Nadim are able to survive and rebuild their lives.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]