STORY: Survivors rebuild lives one year after 2023 earthquakes in Syria, Türkiye
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 27, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 7, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:30
LOCATION: Damascus/Ankara
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of quake-affected zones
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): YAHIA KAAKEH, Local resident, Aleppo
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): YAHIA MAJAWAZ, Local resident, Aleppo
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): SALEM HABEIB, Aleppo branch director of General Housing Foundation
5. STANDUP (English): BURAK AKINCI, Xinhua reporter
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Turkish): CEREN KAYABASI, Resident

STORYLINE:

One year after the deadly earthquakes that hit both Syria and Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023, survivors in both countries share their stories.

Yahia Kaakeh, a 50-year-old painter, was at his home in the Syrian city of Aleppo when the earthquakes struck. He was buried under the rubble for 40 hours before he was saved.

He later learned that he was one of the two survivors in his apartment building, the collapse of which claimed the lives of 48 people.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): YAHIA KAAKEH, Local resident, Aleppo
"I never lose hope and never give up. It is expected that I personally return to this place and rebuild not just my own home but all homes in Syria. I am confident that they will be rebuilt.
I do not look back, I look forward. My wish and ambition is that we, the Syrian people, can rebuild after the earthquakes and tough wars that destroyed, shattered, and broke us. Syria is standing and will be rebuilt."

Yahia Majawaz, a 32-year-old father of four and a furniture painter, still feels sad whenever he takes a look at the collapsed building next door, as it reminds him of his neighbors and the time they spent together.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): YAHIA MAJAWAZ, Local resident, Aleppo
"This earthquake will remain engraved in my memory because we faced extreme difficulty. When we see the demolished buildings, we feel sadness and mourn for the dead, and we pray to stand with the survivors in their grief."

The massive earthquakes last year killed about 44,000 people in Türkiye and about 6,000 others in Syria.

According to official statistics, 54 buildings were destroyed in Aleppo during the earthquakes. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the earthquakes left 5.3 million people in Syria homeless.

Reconstruction is underway in Aleppo, despite challenges that include Western sanctions impeding the import of raw materials.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): SALEM HABEIB, Aleppo branch director of General Housing Foundation
"Here are 120 apartments, and in Al-Haidariyah there are 320 apartments. As a first phase, we, as a housing institution, have 440 eligible housing units for earthquake victims. The sanctions are affecting us greatly in terms of securing raw materials. About 80 percent of the building's raw materials are imported, which has a significant impact. Despite this, we worked day and night to deliver the housing to its owners on schedule."

Feb. 6, 2024
Ankara, Türkiye

STANDUP (English): BURAK AKINCI, Xinhua reporter
"Pre-dawn vigils were held in quake-affected zones in Türkiye on Tuesday as grieving Turks and Syrians mourned their loved ones and neighbors in silence.
The total damage from the devastating earthquakes is estimated to cost over 100 billion U.S. dollars, with approximately 300,000 buildings across 11 Turkish provinces either destroyed or severely damaged.
Reconstruction works are continuing in the earthquake zone where eligible survivors have begun receiving quake-resilient houses."

Hatay, Türkiye

SOUNDBITE 4 (Turkish): CEREN KAYABASI, Resident
"I have hope about Hatay. I hope it gets back to normal. I hope it becomes a city where we can return again. 
Hatay is of course the city where I want to spend my life. I hope it recovers. I hope we can come to our senses. I hope we can get up from where we fell. We can return home."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus/Ankara.
(XHTV)