To the sound of household utensils and the smell of rice cooked with chicken, dozens of volunteers take turns cooking hot meals in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo to distribute to families displaced by the devastating earthquake or whose homes have been destroyed. In the basement of a public park in the city, as part of a series of voluntary initiatives in Aleppo and other Syrian cities hit by an earthquake with epicenter in Turkey on the sixth of this month, almost 46,000 people died in both countries.
Surrounded by sacks of vegetables and pieces of rice, nearly a hundred volunteers of all ages take turns working in the communal kitchen, preparing meals around the clock that have benefited the city’s nearly 70,000 residents to date. “We mainly distribute food to shelters, in addition to mobile groups distributing food to the homeless in parks and on the streets,” Issam Hubbal, the initiative’s founder, told AFP.
In the kitchen, where there are wooden tables in the middle, a group of volunteers wash rice, chicken and vegetables, in the other corner a group of products is received from donors, while others are engaged in packing and decorating rice dishes. with chicken in preparation for their distribution.
Habbaal explains: “We are located in the city of Aleppo, which is famous for its cuisine, dishes and gourmets.”
The city of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city and considered the country’s economic capital before the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, was affected by the earthquake that killed 432 people, the equivalent of almost a third of the death toll documented by the Syrian government in its territories.
The earthquake caused the collapse of 54 buildings, most of them in the eastern part of the city, which were damaged during fighting in the city between 2012 and 2016 before the Syrian army regained full control of the city after a massive attack and siege. with Russian support.
After the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of more than 3,600 people across Syria, many residents were forced to evacuate war-torn buildings and go to pre-existing or hastily prepared shelters, or seek shelter with their relatives. At each jolt, AFP correspondents saw dozens of families sleeping in parks and squares, or hiding from terrified children in their cars, who narrowed the streets, fearing that their houses might collapse.
Sona Slokjian, an artist specializing in children’s theater, decided to dedicate her time to entertaining children scared by the earthquake.
“I saw fear in the eyes of a little girl, and I saw fear in the eyes of my two daughters, and I decided to volunteer to do what I love, to sing and dance with children,” said Slokjian, 38. AFP.
About two weeks ago, a woman, along with her two daughters and other volunteers, moved from one shelter to another every day to put on entertainment shows. not enough”, indicating that “the child not only needs food and drink, but also wants to play and forget.
On the stage of the Mar Elias church in the Villa district of Aleppo, Slokjian, accompanied by a clown, presented an artistic performance in which dozens of adults and children took part, residents of the church shelter, which houses more than 800 people displaced due to the earthquake.
“This is the least we can do,” the girl says excitedly, “it’s not only the children who are happy. I feel like I don’t have time. I feel safe” during the presentation.
