Earthquake poses new challenges for White Helmets in Syria

Syrian Civil Defense
First came the bombs, then the earthquake: Who is hiding the victims in Syria?

They help as best they can. Despite this, White Helmet volunteers rarely manage to get all the victims alive. Because the situation after the earthquake is different than during the civil war.

A five-year-old girl and her seven-year-old brother are rescued from the rubble of an apartment building. Help comes too late for the mother. A man with a white helmet encourages the dust-covered boy, a video recording shows. Someone else wraps the children in blankets, hands wipe the dust from their faces and hair.

Nothing remained for the two after the earthquake. Only the father is said to be alive, the rescuers report. It’s sad miracles that civilian helpers in Syria have been performing every day for almost a week. With every passing day, the chance of rescuing survivors from the rubble decreases.The local helpers are largely left to their own devices, while international aid arrives in neighboring Turkey. Supporting Syria is complicated because of the political situation. Those affected are therefore dependent on the White Helmets.

Ismail Alabdullah, spokesman for the organization, witnessed survivors being rescued. “But these are rare cases,” he says in conversation with the mirror. So far, more than 3,000 deaths have been reported nationwide. However, the number is likely to be significantly higher, because four days after the earthquake there were so few helpers in Syria that only five percent of the affected areas could be searched. Alabdullah and his colleagues try to rescue survivors with their bare hands and shovels – and are overwhelmed by the situation.

White Helmets become political targets

Because the White Helmets specialize in rescuing people buried after air raids. Since the Syrian civil war has raged, volunteers have come together to support people in rebel-held areas. In 2014, the White Helmets organization was founded from the loose alliances – known for their protective headgear. The helpers from a wide range of professional groups have committed themselves to the humanitarian code of values ​​and help people regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation and political views.

According to their own statements, the White Helmets have saved more than 100,000 lives in the past five years, with more than 250 volunteers losing their lives. These numbers cannot be verified. But the regime under the ruler Bashar al-Assad keeps shooting at the rebel regions.

In north-western Syria, which is controlled by the rebels, there are numerous internally displaced people who are looking for refuge from the horrors of the civil war. Attacks and fighting have largely destroyed the infrastructure there. The volunteers provide emergency aid. Women also help out: they take care of rescued injured people, offer trauma counseling and prepare children and families for the next attacks. The organization was awarded the “alternative Nobel Peace Prize” for its work.

The Assad regime has also targeted the centers of the White Helmets. Between June 2016 and December 2017, quarters and teams were said to have been hit by rockets, bombs and artillery 238 times. The Assad regime describes the organization as “criminal” and “terrorists”.

Helpers feel alone

The White Helmets are overwhelmed by the current situation. “Our team works around the clock, the people have long been at the attack,” says Alabdullah. One is specialized in rescuing people from a pile of rubble at the moment. The earthquake caused hundreds of buildings to collapse simultaneously. According to the organization, 3,000 helpers are looking for survivors after the earthquake, taking the injured to hospitals that are at the limit after the civil war, pandemic and the earthquake itself.

So far, only a technical medical team from Egypt has reached the region via the Syrian-Turkish border crossing to help with the rescue work. “Otherwise we are alone in the catastrophe. And this catastrophe is bigger than us.”

Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affair, white helmets“Mirror“, with material from DPA and AFP