According to Netjes, not a single building in the Syrian city of Afrin is still habitable. “You have to consider that there are almost five million people living in that little strip in Syria from all over the country, so it’s very overpopulated,” he says. And there is a severe housing shortage. The Americans and Europeans don’t want to support the area because Turkey is still there. But if they have to leave, the Assad regime will come.”
Although two large earthquakes have been reported, there is constant jerking and twitching. “It goes on and on and large parts are in ruins,” she continues. “There are always small earthquakes going on and we fear they will continue for a while.” Furthermore, she points out that entire families are still under the rubble and that the number of dead can be enormous.
Foreign aid teams
Incoming international aid teams would be better sent to Syria instead of Turkey, Netjes argues. “Turkey is a well-organized state and has its own humanitarian organizations,” he says. “But Syria doesn’t have it at all. Especially in that area. The White Helmets are doing what they can, but they can’t. I would say: go to Syria, because the need there is much higher than in Turkey”.