The earthquake in Turkey and Syria

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We have been hearing from people in Turkey and Syria since the earthquake struck the region on Monday. Three survivors tell us about their escape from shaking buildings onto bitterly cold streets, including Canan who was staying in a hotel in Gazientep: “We were in PJs,” she says. “We were barefoot and people were screaming and crying.” It’s an anxious and emotional time for relatives watching from abroad. Germany is home to the largest Turkish diaspora in the world and we bring together Aeyna and Hazal, as well as Khalil, who has close family in Aleppo in Syria. They share their experiences of tragedy and hope with host, James Reynolds. With the scale of the disaster so overwhelming, we also hear from two aid workers about the rescue efforts. We speak to Salah Aboulgasem, from Islamic Relief in southern Turkey and Ismail Alabdullah a volunteer with the White Helmets in Syria. Salah tells us that it’s the worst disaster he has ever seen and that in one town more than two thirds of the buildings have been destroyed We hope that by sharing these personal stories from the past week, we can all better understand and appreciate what it’s been like for a few of the millions of people impacted by the earthquake. (Photo: An aerial view of damage, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 10, 2023. Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)