Destroyed houses, high inflation and economic crisis are exacerbating the situation of the suffering population Jugend Eine Welt provides important help locally
Vienna (OTS) – “The reconstruction process in Aleppo has started slowly and is far from complete. The local people are helping together to make the damaged houses livable again or to build new accommodation. But building the foundations and walls is very expensive. Added to this are the poor economic situation in Syria, where there has been war for over ten years, and high inflation. That makes everything extremely difficult.”
reported Youth One World project partner Alejandro Leon on the occasion of the first anniversary of the earthquake disaster in hard-hit Aleppo.
Youth One World with local emergency aid
In the after hours of February 6, 2023, the earth shook in the Syrian-Turkish border region with a magnitude of 7.8. It was only weeks later that the final number of victims was known: more than 57,000 people died and over 120,000 were injured. The Austrian development organization Jugend Eine Welt, which has been working with project partners in the city of Aleppo for many years, started emergency aid immediately after the earthquake. With Wolfgang Wedan Jugend Eine Welt sent its experienced global emergency aid coordinator to the crisis area. “I still have the images in my head when I arrived in Aleppo a few days after the devastating earthquake. The situation was heartbreaking. There was misery no matter where you looked.”
Wedan remembers. “People were scared, they had lost everything. Some dug into the rubble with their bare hands to look for their dead relatives or their belongings. Added to this were the regular aftershocks that caused panic.”
“As soon as the children could smile again, their parents also felt better.”
The focus of the emergency aid from Jugend Eine Welt and the project partners on site – the Don Bosco Sisters and the Salesians of Don Bosco – was the provision of mattresses, blankets and heated emergency sleeping places as well as winter clothing and shoes, as it was bitterly cold after the earthquake. Furthermore, the needy population was regularly provided with hot meals. If necessary, the accommodations also offered medical care.
In the second phase after the disaster, Jugend Eine Welt put together weekly food packages for distribution. In order to be able to help particularly traumatized children, the Don Bosco kindergarten in Aleppo was reopened for 130 children thanks to donations and operations were secured for the next twelve months. Painting, singing and play therapies as well as the establishment of child-friendly areas, so-called “child-friendly spaces”, helped the youngest members of the traumatized population to be able to be children again. “As soon as the children could smile again, their parents also felt better.”says Wedan.
Help with returning to difficult everyday life
The following months were dedicated to long-term emergency aid so that the suffering residents in Aleppo can cope with everyday life and their minimum needs for a dignified life are guaranteed. Among other things, Jugend Eine Welt provided monthly meal vouchers and vouchers to pay the electricity bill. “In addition, reconstruction aid for damaged houses started in April 2023. This meant that many families were able to return to their own four walls after months in emergency accommodation. If this was not possible, families received financial support to rent alternative apartments.”says Alejandro Leon, project partner of Jugend Eine Welt.
Summer camps for traumatized children
It also made it easier for children and young people to return to everyday life. In specially organized summer camps, the focus was on fun. Various activities such as dancing, singing, acting, but also trips to parks gave the traumatized children and young people different thoughts for a few hours a day. When school started, the Jugend Eine Welt project partners started, among other things, an afternoon care program for up to 150 students.
Give hope with your donation
“The hard-hit region around Aleppo unfortunately disappeared from the media spotlight just a few weeks after the devastating earthquake. The need of the people is still great. Families with children, but also older people, still need urgent help, even a year after the earthquake disaster.”
appeals Reinhard Heiserer, Managing Director of Jugend Eine Welt. “Please support the important work of our local project partners and give the affected people a little hope with your donation.”
Corporate donations are 100% tax deductible
Heiserer reminds us of the possibility for companies to deduct 100 percent of donations for emergency aid. “According to the Income Tax Act, companies can claim their donations in cash and in kind, which go to Syria or Ukraine and neighboring countries via aid organizations such as Jugend Eine Welt, for example, as business expenses. The Income Tax Act allows full, 100 percent deduction if such aid is related to acute disasters and is effective in advertising for the company. Media reporting, mailings to customers or donation notices on the company homepage can be used as proof. said the Youth One World CEO in conclusion.
Youth One World donation account: AT66 3600 0000 0002 4000 | Online donations at www.jugendeinewelt.at/spenden | Donations are tax deductible!
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Thomas Zach, MA
Youth One World | Press and public relations
Tel. +4366488632574 | thomas.zach@jugendeinewelt.at