Deadly earthquake exacerbates suffering of displaced Syrians

By GHAITH ALSAYED and ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

DARKUSH, Syria (AP) — The deadly 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey near the Syrian border has hit hard in areas that house millions of war-displaced Syrians. In Syria’s Idlib province, the last remaining rebel-held stronghold, many of the displaced live in dire conditions in makeshift camps. In both government and opposition-controlled areas of northern Syria, buildings weakened by years of bombings were particularly vulnerable to this new shock. Carsten Hansen, director for the Middle East at the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a statement that the disaster that hit on Monday “will worsen the suffering of Syrians already struggling with a severe humanitarian crisis.”