'It's heartbreaking': Cork priest seeks donations for quake survivors in Syria

Rescue teams carry the body of a victim from a destroyed building in the costal town of Jableh, Syria. Picture: AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki

A Cork priest who gave a hard-hitting eye-witness account of death and destruction in earthquake-hit Syria has called for cash donations to help people worst hit by the disaster.

Fr Tony O’Riordan, who is leading the Jesuits' response to the crisis in Aleppo, has described seeing a chilling image of a large articulated truck with bodies in white bags.

“A heartbroken family was there, seeking to track down a loved one," he said.

Visiting one of 126 emergency shelters that have been erected in Aleppo, Fr O’Riordan said he spoke to a man who, for over 12 hours, was talking to his brother and family members who were trapped in the rubble. 

“Unfortunately, that family perished," he said.

"Listening to survivors, it is hard to take in the level of terror they have lived through.

"They are in deep shock and their sense of safety and security has collapsed."

Some level of psychological counselling is being offered to people in the temporary 'safe zones', paid for from cash donations sent to the Jesuits' earthquake appeal fund.

“We have rolled this out to about 700 people already. They are reporting significant improvement in their sense of well-being as a result — it is not a high-cost intervention but it is time-consuming,” said Fr O’Riordan.

Fr Tony O'Riordan pictured in 2018: Leading the Jesuits' response to the quake disaster in Syria. Picture: Liam Burke Press 22

Aside from the obvious dangers of further tremors and unsafe buildings, the harsh sub-zero winter temperatures and electricity blackouts are exacerbating the crisis.

"It was -4 degrees last night," Fr O'Riordan said.

"Maybe a hot water bottle would help, but there isn’t any electricity to heat the water.

It is heartbreaking but so encouraging to see Syrian people — who have been pounded by war, hunger, crippling poverty, and now hit by this — still standing with each other and doing what they can. 

Fr O’Riordan feels lucky that when the earthquake hit Aleppo, he was 400km outside the city, although the tremor reached him in his bed at 4.30am.

“It was a very different experience for people closer to the epicentre, they actually thought they were going to die because of the shaking, the noise of the ground moving, glass breaking, buildings creaking, and rubble falling.

"It was only a few seconds, but it was the most terrifying few seconds of people’s lives.” 

Cash donations can be made at the Jesuits Syria Earthquake Appeal or by contacting 01-836-6509.