The tale of a newborn Syrian who survived the Turkey earthquake that killed her parents

Amidst the rubble of once-towering buildings in Syria, a ray of hope emerged after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country and neighbouring Turkey on Monday. A video, which users on social media called “the most shocking” clip in the history of natural disasters, displayed a man rescuing a baby from architectural ruins. 

The newborn, titled a miracle baby by many outlets, was brought into the world by her mother who went into labour as tragedy hit Syria and Turkey, according to The Mirror. The baby’s birthplace was mere rubble and concrete, but what was worse is the fact that the baby girl was born as an orphan after her parents became two of the thousands that died in Monday’s massive quake. 

A heart-shattering clip of the newborn doing rounds on social media shows a man running while carrying the infant as debris and piles of concrete lay around. The operation to rescue the child occurred on the outskirts of Afrin in northeastern Syria. Details of the newborn and her deceased parents remain unknown for now, apart from reports that the family was displaced from Deir Ezzor to Afrin due to the Syrian war. 

Several survival stories from Turkey and Syria continue to surface following the natural disaster, with one survivor weepingly asking for help in Turkey’s Adana. “My grandson is one-and-a-half years old. Please help them, please... They were on the 12th floor,” Imran Bahur told the Associated Press. 

Syria Earthquake, 6.02. A newly born baby, his mother gave birth under the rubble and shortly passed away... This is one of the most shocking videos in the entire history of disasters. #TurkeyEarthquake #syriaearthquake #TurkeyQuake #TurkiyeEarthquarke #Syria #Turkey #Туреччина pic.twitter.com/th97887iZZ

— Oksana Johannesson (@Miss_Oksana) February 6, 2023

'No equipment': Syrian relief workers share ordeal after earthquake 

As the world flocks to provide aid to Turkey, Syria remains somewhat abandoned. The country faces a tough challenge to save survivors and carry out crucial operations, while already having to deal with a dwindling economy, outbreaks, and other crises. Ali Hussein Rashid, a relief worker from Aleppo, offered a glimpse into the lack of emergency resources in Syria in times of devastation.

"People were all over the street at 3 am when it first hit. But we had no cherry pickers, no equipment, nothing to pick the people out of the rubble except our hands. It was shocking. It can’t be described. Over 50 buildings collapsed, with just five ambulances for the whole area,” he told the Mirror.