Earthquake orphans in Turkey and Syria face an uncertain future

Earthquake fatalities rise in Syria and Turkey 2:54

(CNN Spanish) --

This week, a baby began her life surrounded by chaos and devastation.

Called, according to reports, Aya — which means "miracle" in Arabic — was born under the rubble of Monday's deadly earthquake, still attached to her mother's lifeless body by the umbilical cord when rescuers found her.

His story seems miraculous indeed, as he survived for more than 10 hours under the rubble of his family's five-story apartment building in northern Syria after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck before dawn. will destroy everything.

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"We heard a voice while we were digging," the baby's cousin, Khalil al-Suwadi, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday.

"We dusted off and found the baby with the umbilical cord (intact) so we cut it off and my cousin took her to the hospital."

A newborn baby girl rescued from the rubble in Syria.

Tragically, the baby's mother did not survive and is believed to have died hours after giving birth.

In fact, the newborn is believed to be the only surviving member of her immediate family, her cousin told the news agency.

The orphan Aya - named after her by doctors - is receiving treatment at a children's hospital in the nearby city of Afrin, where pediatrician Hani Maarouf told AFP that she is stable but arrived with bruises, lacerations and hypothermia.

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The images of his incredible rescue quickly went viral on the internet, attracting international attention.

Many people from all over the world asked how they could adopt it.

However, it has been confirmed that Aya's great-uncle Salah al-Badran will take her in once she is discharged from hospital, despite the fact that her own home was destroyed in the quake, The Guardian reported.

According to Joe English, UNICEF emergency communication specialist, adoption should never happen immediately after an emergency.

Earthquake in Syria: the tense rescue of a child amid the destruction 0:55

"Until the whereabouts of the child's parents or other close relatives can be verified, each separated child is considered to have living close relatives," he told CNN.

"Every effort should be made to reunify children with their families when appropriate, if such reunification is in their best interest."

Similarly, 3-year-old Tariq Haidar was pulled alive from the rubble of his home in Jandaris, northern Syria, 42 hours after the earthquake struck, Reuters news agency reported.

He was taken to the hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate his left leg.

His family did not survive.

Malek Qasida, a nurse caring for him, told Reuters: "His father and two of his brothers were brought out dead before him."

The body of his mother and that of a third brother were later recovered from the rubble, according to locals, quoted by Reuters.

Aya and Tariq are just two of the many children in Turkey and Syria who have been orphaned by Monday's deadly earthquake.

The initial quake struck just after 4am local time while many people were asleep.

"Although we do not yet have verified figures, given the catastrophic and rising death toll, it is clear that many, many children will have lost their parents or carers in these devastating earthquakes," said UNICEF's English.

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"Urgently identifying unaccompanied children and those who may have been separated from their parents and carers is absolutely critical so that they can receive appropriate care and support in the short term, and so that we can begin the work of locating and reuniting them with their families." families".

"Following these types of disasters, displaced children, especially those unaccompanied or separated from their families, are vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse, including the risk of trafficking or gender-based violence."

He added: "Beyond our immediate life-saving response by providing clean water, warm winter clothing and medical and nutritional supplies, UNICEF is also working with our partners to provide affected children with critical mental health and psychosocial support. , to help them process their experiences and begin to address the trauma that many children may have experienced.”

"This is not a short-term job, and it will require long-term, dedicated support as we help children and families rebuild their shattered lives."

For its part, the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) - made up of 15 major British charities - said its member organizations will closely monitor and support unaccompanied and separated children .

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"They do this by establishing child-friendly spaces, providing age-appropriate psychosocial and resilience activities, specialized case management and alternative care for unaccompanied and separated children," Madara Hettiarachchi, director of programs and accountability, told CNN. of the DEC.

race against the clock

Information about the exact number of children left without parents remains unclear.

As reported by the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services on Friday, the families of 263 children who were pulled from the rubble in Turkey could not be located.

Of these children, 162 continue to receive hospital care, while 101 have been transferred to the relevant units of the ministry and placed in institutions after their treatment.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria stands at more than 28,000, according to authorities.

In Turkey, the death toll has risen to 24,617, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said at a press conference on Saturday.

In Syria, the total death toll stood at 3,575 as of Saturday.

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Rescue teams work around the clock to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing winter conditions.

Efforts have also been hampered by blocked roads, damaged infrastructure and several violent aftershocks.

There have been some incredible stories of survival.

A 16-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble of a destroyed building in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, 119 hours after a devastating earthquake rocked the country.

A 10-year-old girl was pulled alive from the rubble in Turkey's southern Hatay province after 147 hours.

However, Cristian Popovici, a reporter for Antena 3, an affiliate of CNN Romania, warned on Friday that as the hours pass, incredible scenes like these will become less frequent.

"The chances of this happening are less than 1%, especially given the sub-zero temperatures here at night."

"It's really a miracle, unfortunately now we see less and less of those, but it is happening and that's what all these people here work for, to continue saving lives."

The miraculous rescues of the last week have been scenes of incredible joy mixed with sadness, as some children are pulled alive from the rubble of their homes only to discover that the rest of their immediate family did not survive.

Aid agencies warn that it is too soon to know exactly how many children have been orphaned in the tragedy.

With information from Isil Sariyuce, Gokce Katkici, Eyad Kourdi and Hande Atay Alam.

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