Image: JRS/Jesuiten Homs
The Jesuit Gerald Baumgartner, who comes from Münzkirchen, has been living in Syria since 2021 and has now taken over the coordination of the earthquake emergency aid in their centers in central Syria. Baumgartner has been working in Homs since summer 2021, where he was responsible for youth work in a small international community – the consequences of the devastating earthquake that raged in Turkey and northern Syria also changed his everyday life a lot.
The earthquake woke Gerald Baumgartner in Homs. “Fortunately there was no damage here, but people often stood outside in the rain for hours because they were afraid of another earthquake.”
The first refugees from Aleppo and Latakia soon arrived and the Jesuits organized emergency aid with food, clothing, blankets and mattresses. After the first few weeks of immense effort and little sleep, Gerald Baumgartner is now reporting back from Homs: “It’s been two months since the great earthquake in the border region of Syria and Aleppo. Like almost everyone in Syria, it turned my life upside down “Before I was responsible for the Jesuit youth work in Homs, from the first days after the earthquake the Order gave me full leave to work with the people who had fled because of the earthquake.” Now the Innviertler works with the refugee service Jesuit Refugee Service and is the coordinator for the earthquake emergency aid in the centers in central Syria.
There were two phases of the emergency aid. “In the first month, our help was limited to the greatest needs. Dozens of families from Aleppo and Latakia arrived in Homs every day. They were afraid, they were cold, and they had nothing with them. The goal was to survive. So we got one on the first day Emergency kitchen started, provided people with clothing, hygiene items, medicine and food.” According to Baumgartner, many families do not know anything about the condition of their house in their hometown. When the aftershocks subsided and emergency aid was able to roll out in Aleppo, many families returned. The second phase of the emergency aid has been running since mid-March.
“The question is no longer how do we help people to survive, but how do we help them to live? The families who are now left in Homs and the surrounding area have really lost everything and see no reason or possibility to go back in to return to their city of origin. We have visited all of these families in their shelters and are supporting them psychologically and with social support such as food packages, hygiene packages, rent support, etc.”
- For Donate are extremely grateful to Gerald Baumgartner and the Jesuits, there is an opportunity to donate via the mission office of the Diocese of Linz, password: Nothilfe Homs, IBAN: AT71 5400 0000 0038 3117
Source: Nachrichten
