The Heartache for Syrians in Canada

                                                                    Hussein Qarquoz

 I listened to an CBC Radio Metro Morning interview with a rescue worker in northern Syria. The earthquake which killed at least 17,000 in Turkey has also killed more than 3,000 Syrians and probably many more. The person being interviewed expressed frustation and despair that no aid was arriving from other nations, in part because roads were damaged but also because of the civil war. 

I've also read about the desparation of Syrians in Canada who can't get in touch with loved ones and don't know what to do to provide support. A family of Syrian origin in Sudbury, where we lived for eleven years, is going through this torment. According to a CBC article:

A former refugee in Sudbury, Ont., is reflecting on the aftermath of an earthquake in Turkey and neighbouring Syria that has left thousands dead. Hussein Qarqouz fled the Syrian civil war in 2015. His family was the first Syrian refugee family to arrive in Sudbury. As rescue crews continue to search for survivors beneath piles of rubble in the two countries, Qarqouz says he and his family have been watching and waiting for news from family as the crisis unfolds...

"I'm still sad, my wife cry, my children feel and, you know, [this] is the first shock of my life and this one is big, big one. And after a 12-year war," Qarqouz said.  Qarqouz said he was relieved to hear from both his brother and his sister who still live in Syria. He added that the situation has been particularly difficult for his brother, who has eight children. 

He said that he was scared for his sister who lives in an apartment building. Many people in the region have been staying away from their apartment buildings and from what little infrastructure is left standing, in case something collapses.With his siblings safe, he said his attention has been turned to the country's need for aid. So far, he and his family in Canada have put together some money to send to Syria — but he knows it won't be enough.

I think this is the family which was sponsored by the congregation I served, St. Andrew's United Church. Friends told us of how they arrived, the father quickly found work at a landmark bakery near the church which many members visited after worship on Sundays. It appears that they now have their own establishment, a cafe and bakery. Reader Kathy may be able to enlighten us on whether this is the sponsored family. 

This is another reminder that a tragedy half a world away is actually close to home, in many respects. Yesterday an aid convoy and other help arrived in Syria and we can pray for much more. 

                                                           Algerian Rescue Team in Syria