Supporting earthquake survivors: ‘We were hungry, and they gave us food’

Sona and Nizar live in Aleppo. They have three adult children; sadly, one of their sons was killed during the civil war. Their house was damaged during the war and, to this day, they have not had the means to repair it. They are currently renting a small house in the Aleppo countryside.

Sona shares: “During the earthquake, the walls of the home cracked, and all the glass was shattered. The refrigerator broke and most of our food provisions were spoiled. We escaped our house in fear and sat down in the street. Later, we saw that many things had been stolen, like bottles or cooking gas. The only assistance we received was from the church. I thank God for them because our situation was extremely difficult, and we were suffering from poverty. We were hungry, and they gave us food. The food baskets truly preserved our dignity.”

Yet despite the assistance from their local church (that Embrace supports), Sona struggles to see any hope in her situation, and even expresses the desire to be reunited with her son who passed away. The family is still in great need of support – materially, emotionally and spiritually.

About the local church partner

Sona and Nizar’s church is affiliated with the Latin community in Syria. It provides relief aid and educational programmes to support people’s livelihoods. The high cost of living and the lack of job opportunities means that the needs in the community it serves are great. Embrace supports this church via our Lebanese partner, MERATH.