04:16Residents of Aleppo’s Bustan Al-Zaharah neighbourhood are still living with anxiety as they attempt to rebuild their lives, two months on from the devastating earthquakes which rocked Syria and Turkey, leaving 50,000 people dead, including about 6,000 in the Arab Republic.
In footage captured on Thursday, residents spoke about the ongoing reconstruction efforts in the country, which has already been ravaged by over a decade of civil war. Others said they still live in fear of potential aftershocks.
Resident Firas Ezzat explained that he had begun restoration work on his home after receiving permission from the Engineers' Syndicate and the City Council. However, he claimed his efforts had been hampered as a direct result of sanctions imposed by the US and Western allies.
“We have initiated buildings' restoration and reinforcement to be able to come back soon to our homes God willing,” he said.
“We encountered major difficulties during the repair process due to the soaring prices of the construction materials due to the siege imposed on Aleppo and Syria in general, then the earthquake came to further aggravate the ongoing crises," he added.
A second local said he is still waiting for the authorities to allow him to begin restoration work on his home and claimed he is still ‘terrified’ of another aftershock.
“Two months have passed since the earthquake, and the building adjacent to our house fell. We are waiting for God's help to rebuild our home,” he said.
“We are still terrified so when an earthquake occurs or aftershocks, we rush out into the streets," he added.
February’s catastrophic earthquake has reportedly caused $5.1 billion worth of damage in both government and rebel-held areas of Syria, according to a World Bank estimate.
Syria: 'We are still terrified' - Aleppo residents work to rebuild their lives after devastating earthquake
Residents of Aleppo’s Bustan Al-Zaharah neighbourhood are still living with anxiety as they attempt to rebuild their lives, two months on from the devastating earthquakes which rocked Syria and Turkey, leaving 50,000 people dead, including about 6,000 in the Arab Republic.
In footage captured on Thursday, residents spoke about the ongoing reconstruction efforts in the country, which has already been ravaged by over a decade of civil war. Others said they still live in fear of potential aftershocks.
Resident Firas Ezzat explained that he had begun restoration work on his home after receiving permission from the Engineers' Syndicate and the City Council. However, he claimed his efforts had been hampered as a direct result of sanctions imposed by the US and Western allies.
“We have initiated buildings' restoration and reinforcement to be able to come back soon to our homes God willing,” he said.
“We encountered major difficulties during the repair process due to the soaring prices of the construction materials due to the siege imposed on Aleppo and Syria in general, then the earthquake came to further aggravate the ongoing crises," he added.
A second local said he is still waiting for the authorities to allow him to begin restoration work on his home and claimed he is still ‘terrified’ of another aftershock.
“Two months have passed since the earthquake, and the building adjacent to our house fell. We are waiting for God's help to rebuild our home,” he said.
“We are still terrified so when an earthquake occurs or aftershocks, we rush out into the streets," he added.
February’s catastrophic earthquake has reportedly caused $5.1 billion worth of damage in both government and rebel-held areas of Syria, according to a World Bank estimate.
Residents of Aleppo’s Bustan Al-Zaharah neighbourhood are still living with anxiety as they attempt to rebuild their lives, two months on from the devastating earthquakes which rocked Syria and Turkey, leaving 50,000 people dead, including about 6,000 in the Arab Republic.
In footage captured on Thursday, residents spoke about the ongoing reconstruction efforts in the country, which has already been ravaged by over a decade of civil war. Others said they still live in fear of potential aftershocks.
Resident Firas Ezzat explained that he had begun restoration work on his home after receiving permission from the Engineers' Syndicate and the City Council. However, he claimed his efforts had been hampered as a direct result of sanctions imposed by the US and Western allies.
“We have initiated buildings' restoration and reinforcement to be able to come back soon to our homes God willing,” he said.
“We encountered major difficulties during the repair process due to the soaring prices of the construction materials due to the siege imposed on Aleppo and Syria in general, then the earthquake came to further aggravate the ongoing crises," he added.
A second local said he is still waiting for the authorities to allow him to begin restoration work on his home and claimed he is still ‘terrified’ of another aftershock.
“Two months have passed since the earthquake, and the building adjacent to our house fell. We are waiting for God's help to rebuild our home,” he said.
“We are still terrified so when an earthquake occurs or aftershocks, we rush out into the streets," he added.
February’s catastrophic earthquake has reportedly caused $5.1 billion worth of damage in both government and rebel-held areas of Syria, according to a World Bank estimate.