[Video transcript]
One year on from the tragedy that took his wife, three of his children and his home, Khaled Wehbe hasn’t come to terms with what happened. The 50-year-old rents this house in the countryside, a short drive from Idlib, in order to care for his surviving children. But money is tight, and stability a thing of the past.
(Khaled Wehbe)
"The earthquake changed my life dramatically. The scenes are still in my memory. I don't sleep well. Sometimes I wake up very terrified and feel like the house is going to fall on my head. I'm still living with the shock of the earthquake, and I have many difficulties. Moving from one house to another is difficult, rents are very high, and there are no job opportunities. I have little control over my household expenses."
The earthquake caused widespread destruction in five of Syria’s 14 governorates, with Idlib among the very worst-hit. The region’s infrastructure and basic services were decimated.
In the towns of Harem and Armanaz, in western Idlib, volunteers are building new homes to replace those destroyed by the quake. These reconstruction efforts are funded through individual donations and are meant to improve housing for many of the people displaced.
(Muhammad Al-Sheikh, Shelter Department officer, Molham Volunteer Team)
"As part of this campaign, these projects aim to establish several multistory residential units, with each floor containing four apartments. Naturally, we were late in starting the project due to challenges such as weather conditions, in addition to delays in construction operations. These units are designed to be earthquake-resistant. We expect the projects to be completed within five months, and we are working on moving families in to live in these apartments."
New homes cannot be built fast enough across the region for the people forced to live in emergency camps following the earthquake’s destruction. Residents are suffering, with little access to clean water, electricity or basic hygiene.
(First man)
"Living in a tent is very difficult, as our homes were destroyed in the earthquake and we were forced to move. We received little aid, and our conditions are very bad, as there is no water, no lighting and no sanitation. Life in the camps is very difficult."
(Second man)
"Our conditions are very difficult here, and we have a shortage of blankets. We do not have the ability to secure them, and things are difficult."
For so many here in Idlib, processing the magnitude of last year's tragedy must be put off, until basic living conditions can be secured.