Commenting on the emerging situation Racha Nasreddine, Regional Director of ActionAid Arab Region said:
“We are deeply saddened to hear that the very same communities on the frontline of this month’s devastating earthquake are once again facing catastrophe. These are people whose lives were already ripped apart by the first earthquake and who will now once again be out on the streets without shelter. Women and girls, all too often the most affected by the earthquake, will once again bear the brunt of this fresh disaster.”
“Our hearts and our thoughts are with families affected and with our local partner organisation, Violet on the ground, who once again face renewed trauma and are being reevacuated towards shelter.
“Our colleagues on the ground are accounted for and are continuing to respond to the crisis. We are now rapidly assessing the situation to determine how to scale up our response.”
Omar Derbas, from ActionAid’s partner organisation Violet, in the affected region said: “People here are absolutely terrified, much like after the first earthquake. The lives of displaced people are in imminent danger, and they want safe spaces to stay. Shelters are expected to become quickly overpopulated.”