LATEST: Syrian survivor recalls devastating Turkey earthquake one year on
A Syrian father said his family prayed for their lives to be spared when February's deadly earthquake struck.
Mohammed Jaafar, 45, said the ground shook and walls collapsed around them in their apartment block in Antakya, Turkey, as they sought safety.
Mr Jaafar, who has two children aged 7 and 5, said he is haunted by the harrowing ordeal six months on.
“We were all sleeping in one room when suddenly the ground started shaking violently. In a minute, the walls collapsed, and it was darkness,” Mr Jaafar said.
He said the family clutched each other tightly, praying they would survive.
“We had minor earthquakes before, and we thought this one was similar. But this one felt like the end of the world.”
As buildings crumbled around them, he led his wife and children outside of their ground-floor home in the 11-storey building to seek help.
They found the natural disaster had left behind a trail of destruction.
“Luckily my car was untouched, and we had no injuries. We slept in the car for three days as the building was affected and it was not safe to return to the apartment,” said Mr Jaafar.
“People were under the debris, and we did not know what to do or where to go. It was a scene from Judgment Day.”
He said that his brother, sister, and other family members were living in Gaziantep – a Turkish city hit hard by the quake – but all were safe.
The 7.8-magnitude quake struck near the Turkey-Syria border in the early hours of Monday, February 6.
It was soon followed by a second earthquake of similar strength, with a series of aftershocks adding to the destruction.
More than 58,000 people were killed in both countries, with many more injured. Thousands of homes were destroyed, leaving survivors at the mercy of harsh winter conditions.
Family given vital support
Mr Jaafar said he and his family were moved to a temporary shelter.
“The care and support we received from the medical staff, the Turkish government and volunteers was overwhelming. It reminded us of the kindness of strangers,” he said.
One month later, he rented a home in Gaziantep.
“I went a couple of times to my old apartment and the scene was still catastrophic. I managed to collect my passport and some valuables left behind,” he said.
“Individuals, businessmen, and support agencies provided meals and support to people who were affected by the disaster. It was a great moment of unity.”
He said his family were initially given rent support by the government, but prices had now risen because of high demand.
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A woman walks among destroyed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. Getty Images -
A woman mourns a relative during the burial of one of the earthquake victims in Antakya, southeastern Turkey. AP Photo -
A family photo is seen amid the rubble in Hatay. Getty Images -
Syrian refugees in Turkey return to their home country following the deadly earthquake. AFP -
Members of NGOs Deathcare Embalming Team and Turkish Kurt-Ar inspect the bucket of an excavator as they search for bodies in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. AP Photo -
Dust covers a family photo album found in Antakya. AP Photo -
A man made homeless by the 7.8-magnitude quake carries mattresses distributed by an NGO at a makeshift camp in Afrin, in Syria's Aleppo province. AFP -
A cracked road near the quake’s epicentre in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. AFP -
A rescuer stands near the site where Aleyna Olmez, 17, was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, about 10 days after the quake struck. AFP -
A rescuer holds a cat after it was rescued from the ruins of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. AFP -
Quake survivors queue for food amid the rubble in Kahramanmaras. Reuters -
Bedran, a local resident who lost his house in the earthquake, keeps warm in Antakya, Turkey. Reuters -
A girl carries a box of water bottles next to a damaged mosque in Antakya. Reuters -
A car lies crushed by parts of a badly damaged building in Samandag, Turkey. AP -
Residentes remove their belongings from their destroyed house in Samandag. AP -
Aleyna Olmez, 17, is rescued after being trapped for 10 days in Kahramanmaras. Getty -
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Ankara. AFP -
A message scrawled on a car covered in dust from collapsed buildings in Antakya, Turkey. AP -
Destruction in Antakya. AP -
A cracked road leads to a flooded area in Antakya. AP -
A man looks bewildered at the site of collapsed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. EPA -
Numbered stones near graves of earthquake victims at a cemetery in Adiyaman, Turkey. EPA -
A makeshift camp set up amid the rubble in Antakya, south of Hatay. AFP -
A woman holds her baby inside a tent in a camp in Antakya, Hatay. AFP -
Greek and Turkish rescuers are at work to extract bodies of victims from the rubble in Antakya. AFP -
Samar Hamouda, 44, recalls her experience of the earthquake destroying her home, at Tishreen Hospital in Latakia, Syria. Reuters -
A damaged house in Jableh, Syria. Reuters -
Photos of missing children left in hope in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
People collect copies of holy books from the rubble in Kahramanmaras. Reuters -
Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. Reuters -
People carry a bodybag as residents wait for their relatives to be pulled out from the rubble in Hatay. AFP -
Dust covers a family photo album found in the debris of a building in Antakya. AP -
Portuguese rescue team members try to free the dog named Tarcin from the rubble in Antakya in Hatay. EPA -
An injured survivor at a makeshift hospital set up at Turkish Bayraktar warship anchored near Iskenderun city, southern Turkey. AP -
A makeshift hospital set up at Turkish Bayraktar warship anchored near Iskenderun city, southern Turkey. AP -
Britain's King Charles III (C) meets with members of the Turkish diaspora community who have been collecting, packaging and organising the transportation of food, blankets and warm clothing for people who have recently been affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, during a visit to the West London Turkish Volunteers, in Hounslow, greater London. AFP -
People stand by the fire next to the ruins of a collapsed building in Elbistan, Turkey. Reuters -
Destroyed buildings in Syria's rebel-held village of Atarib, in the north-western Aleppo province. AFP -
Rescuers carry Fatma, 15, who was pulled out from the rubble in Hatay, Turkey. Reuters -
A displaced woman receives food inside a stadium in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
People lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp in Iskenderun city in southern Turkey. AP -
Humanitarian aid provided by Saudi Arabia for survivors of the February 6 earthquake are unloaded at Aleppo Airport in northern Syria. AFP -
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the World Government Summit in Dubai via video link. Antonie Robertson/The National -
A man walks between trains being using as shelters in Iskenderun, southern Turkey. AP Photo -
A woman and children inside a train being used as shelter after the earthquake, in Iskenderun. AP Photo -
Tents erected in a school yard for Syrians who have lost their homes after the deadly quake, in the rebel-held town of Harem in Syria. Reuters -
A woman walks by the destroyed Habib-i Neccar mosque in the historic southern city of Antakya in Hatay, Turkey. AFP -
Rescuers pull out a 12-year-old Syrian girl, Cudi, from the rubble in Hatay. AFP -
Amar, a Syrian refugee living in Turkey, looks on as search for survivors continues in Kahramanmaras. Reuters -
Displaced people keep warm by a fire in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
Earthquake survivors receive distributed meals in Golbasi, Turkey. AP -
A woman stands amid boxes of donated clothes in Golbasi, Turkey. AP -
A man walks near a damaged building that leans on a neighbouring house in Golbasi, Turkey. AP -
UN emergency relief co-ordinator Martin Griffiths stands amid quake-damaged buildings in Aleppo, Syria. Reuters -
Delegates observe a moment of silence for the Turkey–Syria earthquake before the start of the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
People keep warm by a fire as the search for survivors continues a week after the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
A child receives food in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
A dog is seen through a glass door in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
Children walk in the street with food boxes in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters -
A minaret stands as the sun rises over the earthquake-hit city of Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
As Turkey continues a slow rebuilding process, the mental scars of the millions affected remain.
“We are all affected mentally after what we have seen, and we need mental support, too. The government is doing its best to recover but there will be some financial difficulties in the long run,” he said.
He said work is still being carried out to estimate the damage to the building he once called home, but he fears it may have to be demolished.
How to help
People in the UAE can provide financial assistance to those in need by using the website of Emirates Red Crescent, the humanitarian arm of the government, as part of the Bridges of Giving campaign.
People have the option to donate to relief efforts in Syria and Turkey by PayPal, credit card, bank transfer or by text message.
Once donations have been received, an invoice from Emirates Red Crescent will confirm your contribution.
People can donate to Syria relief here and to Turkey relief here.
The UN offers a wide variety of ways to support millions of people who have been affected.
These include UN Crisis Relief, which supports humanitarian efforts, the UN World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency and Unicef.
For more information on how to donate to the various UN-led projects, visit here.
