Members of the White Helmets clear the rubble in Salqin village, Syria, near the border with Turkey. AFP
Members of the White Helmets clear the rubble in Salqin village, Syria, near the border with Turkey. AFP
Members of the White Helmets clear the rubble in Salqin village, Syria, near the border with Turkey. AFP
Members of the White Helmets clear the rubble in Salqin village, Syria, near the border with Turkey. AFP

At least 1.7 million vulnerable children in Syria 'directly affected' by earthquake


Gillian Duncan
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Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

At least 1.7 million children living in north-west Syria have been directly affected by the earthquake that rocked the area and neighbouring Turkey this week, Unicef has said.

They are among 4.4 million people who have been “stranded” in the area for the past several years due to the country’s civil war, said Carmen Monclus, Unicef's child protection specialist based in Turkey.

The UN child charity had already established a solid operation on Syria's side of the border, said Ms Monclus.

“We already had a very, very vulnerable population,” she told BBC Radio 4 on Friday.

“Just to give you a sense, there are 4.4 million people who have been kind of stranded in north-west Syria for the last years already. Out of this number, we knew we had 2.3 million children in those circumstances, which is a very significant number.

“Now, out of all these children, how many have been directly impacted? This is something we are not able to respond with conclusive figures yet.

“But we can certainly assert that at least 1.7 million of those children have been directly impacted, which is a very high number.”

She said family separations should be prevented “at all costs” and revealed that the organisation was offering mental health and psychosocial support following the powerful earthquake.

Unicef has built up a strong network of partners in the area during its time there.

“However, we need to understand our partners themselves, as well, are also an affected population and they are also having to look after their own families,” said Ms Monclus.

Dr Lynne Jones, a child psychiatrist and relief worker, has worked with young people in similar earthquake disaster zones, such as in Haiti.

Attending to their basic needs is of paramount importance, she said.

A baby girl who was born under the rubble caused by an earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey receives treatment inside an incubator at a children's hospital in the town of Afrin, Aleppo province, Syria. AP
A baby girl who was born under the rubble caused by an earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey receives treatment inside an incubator at a children's hospital in the town of Afrin, Aleppo province, Syria. AP

“And obviously doing that in a way that keeps them connected to somebody who can provide love and security is also a basic need,” she told Radio 4.

Supporting children through bereavement has to be approached differently, depending on their age.

“The first thing to say is there is no one way to grieve,” she said. “But it’s going to vary enormously depending on the child’s age, their temperament, who has been lost, the nature of the loss, these kind of things. So, understanding the approach will vary. And then approaching it in a developmentally sensitive way.”

The youngest children, under the age of two, will be upset, as in any separation, and require constant loving care.

Efforts following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria continue — in pictures

Those aged between three and five have more understanding. But do not always grasp that death is permanent, she said.

“So, you are going to explain it to them and they will ask again, you are going to explain and they will ask again. They may even think they are somehow magically responsible and that has to be addressed,” she said.

Sometimes parents or surviving relatives lie to comfort the child. But in the end there is no way around the truth, she said.

In Haiti, she worked with a five year old who survived nine days under the rubble before he was rescued. Of his family, only his uncle and two brothers had survived. He lost both parents and lay next to his dead mother under the rubble.

The world's deadliest earthquakes since 2000 — in pictures

“His uncle’s first response was to say 'your mother is in hospital',” said Dr Jones.

“You have got to tell the truth in a simple way that the child understands. You may have to do it repeatedly. And you can answer their questions honestly.

“And you give them as much information as they want. But you don’t ... push them to talk if they don’t want to but [must be] able to listen if they do. Those are really key recommendations.”

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THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

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Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Expert advice

“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”

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“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”

Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
 

Results

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7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.

8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.

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Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5

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Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne

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Schedule:

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz 

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes. 

The trip

From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

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Updated: February 10, 2023, 11:23 AM`