Syrian Voices from the 2023 Earthquake: Emergency Responses and Long-term Impact

For more than a decade, armed conflict has devastated civilian populations in northwestern Syria. The February 6 earthquake has become yet another catastrophe to strike the region, retraumatizing and displacing some of Syria’s most vulnerable communities. Despite the acute need, international aid failed to reach northwest Syria in the earthquake’s immediate aftermath. This discussion will illuminate the situation on the ground and what is needed to move forward. The panel will feature Mohammed Assi, survivor from northwest Syria; Ammar Al-Selmo, volunteer coordinator from the Syria Civil Defence; Abdulkarim Ekzayez, General Secretary – Syrian British Medical Society; and Alexandra Tarzikhan, refugee rights activist and founder of the Meet a Refugee platform. It will be moderated by Bonnie Docherty of the HLS International Human Rights Clinic.

The event is co-organized by Harvard Law School’s Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative, International Human Rights Clinic, Middle Eastern & North African Law Students Association, and Program on Law and Society in the Muslim World.

If you cannot attend in person, you can register to watch the event online at: https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zVg8CTGYSTSQkYMw97mEvw