(ANS – Aleppo) – The earthquake that occurred in the early hours of 6 February in northern Turkey, which also hit northern Syria hard, found Aleppo a weakened city and a society exhausted by war. The emergency has once again put the Syrian people to the test, but once again they have shown their solidarity in the general emergency. The Salesians in Aleppo opened the doors of the Don Bosco House and hundreds of people found security, companionship, relief and faith there. Five months after the earthquake, the superior of the Salesian Adolescent Jesus" province of the Middle East (MOR), Venezuelan Fr Alejandro León, reflects on what he experienced in this period, with a look of hope because of the wave of solidarity, internal and external, that the country has experienced, and continues to need.

(ANS - Damascus) - More than three months after the Feb. 6 earthquake and the countless aftershocks that followed, the situation for the people of Syria has not improved significantly. The war's aftermath, the economic and social crisis the country is experiencing, rising prices, lack of food, lack of work... have thrown the population into a great and widespread depressive mood, to which even children are no strangers. Like every year, the Salesians in Syria are now preparing summer activities for children, which this year have a stated purpose: to help nearly 2,000 children, teenagers, and young people overcome the trauma caused by the earthquake.

(ANS - Aleppo) - "We are trying to return to normalcy, but we are still in a waiting mode," say Salesian missionaries in Aleppo, who are experiencing another special Holy Week together with the local population. The normalcy is represented by the resumption of activities for more than a thousand children and youth at the Salesian youth center in Aleppo, while the waiting "is due to the fear of another big earthquake, the sleeping problems of most of the population, and the thousands of people who still cannot return to their homes." Salesians continue to be actively involved in dealing with the emergency, distributing food, fuel vouchers, and free technical assistance to monitor structural damage to buildings.

Yesterday, March 15, marked a sad anniversary in Syria: the twelfth year since the beginning of the war. Today the fighting is confined to the north of the country, in the rebel-controlled area, but the consequences are still dramatic and further worsened by the earthquake.

(ANS - Aleppo) – Last night, two weeks after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing more than 47,000 people, another powerful quake of 6.4-magnitude again triggered panic in the areas already affected by that first tragedy. Thousands of people again took to the streets and sought a safe place to take refuge. More than 750 of them thus reached the "Don Bosco" house in Aleppo to spend the night there. Salesians do not close their doors in front of anyone, but helping so many in need under those conditions is also a real challenge.

(ANS - Madrid) - More than 10 days have passed since the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks that leveled southern Turkey and northeastern Syria. Thousands of people remain buried under rubble and demolition of damaged structures is ongoing. Salesian missionaries in Aleppo continue to focus on accompanying and helping people arriving at Don Bosco House, but they are considering a new phase of the emergency after the shock of the first few days. For their part, in Istanbul, the Salesians, together with Caritas and the Salesian Cooperators, are preparing new aid projects for victims in Turkey.