Support in Syria “has been invaluable to us”

For Omar, life after the earthquake in Syria in February has been hard. The thirty-five-year-old is the sole bread winner for a family of 11 that includes his wife and nine children. Five of the children have disabilities.

Omar earns what he can when he can, but work is hard to find--he can find one day of work every ten or so days. As a result, the family's financial situation is dire.

That's why he is grateful for the support he received in the form of money from Save the Children, provided with assistance from the Canadian government through the Humanitarian Coalition.

"If it were not for this project, the situation could have been even worse as we normally barely afford bread," he said.

Prior to the earthquake, Omar and his family lived in their own home. When the earthquake struck, it severely damaged their house.

At first, they found refuge with relatives. Later, Omar borrowed a used tent that he set up in front of their damaged house for his family to live in.

The support from Save the Children eased their immediate financial burden. Omar was also able to use it to address the medical needs of his children. The money "has been invaluable to us and has eased our financial burden considerably," he said.

The February 2023 earthquakes in northwest Syria exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in a region plagued by years of conflict. Particularly affected were vulnerable populations, including children, who faced increased risks to child labour exploitation due to the loss of homes and resources.

That's why Save the Children and its partner, Shafak, implemented an Emergency Cash Assistance project to support earthquake-affected households. The money enabled recipients to address urgent needs such as food, repayment of loans and hygiene products. Ninety-six percent of beneficiaries said they were very satisfied with the assistance provided.

"I hope the project continues," said Omar. "The living conditions are very difficult."