Another Tragedy for Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Quake Highlights Growing Hostility"

Gaziantep, Turkey - The massive earthquake that hit southeastern Turkey on Monday has dealt yet another blow to the nearly 4 million Syrian refugees who have sought refuge in the country. The tragedy has highlighted the growing hostility towards Syrian refugees, made worse by a cost-of-living crisis, and coming ahead of a general election set for May.

Turkey has welcomed more Syrian refugees than any other country, providing them with shelter, work opportunities, and access to healthcare and education. Despite these efforts, the refugees fear that they will lose out in the allocation of resources as the government faces the massive task of reconstruction after the quake.

The nearly 500,000 Syrians in Gaziantep make up more than a fifth of the city's population. They came to escape the brutal war that erupted in 2011, but their dreams of a new life in Europe have been dashed. Many of them have rebuilt their lives while grappling with the scars of conflict, but rising anti-Syrian sentiment in their new home has made it difficult for them to fully integrate.

Umm Anwar, a mother of two, who fled Syria and now lives in Gaziantep, spoke about the familiar sense of hopelessness that the quake has brought back. "I've lost everything - for the second time," she said. "I'm not sure I have the strength to start my life all over again."

The quake has left many Syrian refugees homeless, with some forced to sleep in cars or overcrowded mosques. The majority of the refugees, who don't have the money, cars, or a network to call upon, have nowhere to go. Abu Alwaleed, a 35-year-old Syrian who has been living out of a small van with his family, is trying to find the money to get his family out of the quake zone, but the journey to Istanbul is an unimaginable sum for those living hand-to-mouth.

Despite the growing hostility, there are still moments of unity and compassion. Nour, a Syrian who lost his parents' home in the quake, received support from his Turkish neighbors who had been keeping vigil for their own missing relatives. "We share the same excruciating pain," he said. "We are all brothers in grief."

In conclusion, the earthquake has once again tested the ties between Syrian refugees and their Turkish hosts. While the refugees face growing hostility and fear losing out on resources in the wake of the tragedy, there are still moments of unity and compassion that show the bonds between the two communities.