Turkey earthquake: Syrian refugee's disabled brother living in car

Mohamad al-Sawan said his brother's flat was destroyed in the earthquake

A Syrian refugee living in Shropshire said his brother had been living with his family in a car since the earthquakes five days ago.

Mohamad al-Sawan, from Shrewsbury, said Farhan al-Sawan lost his legs in the civil war and was struggling to support his wife and four children.

They fled their flat in Turkey just before it collapsed.

He said one of his brother's young daughters had been pleading to leave the car and go home again.

Speaking through a translator, Mohamad said he was also desperate to bring his brother to the UK to care for him.

"He lives in a car with his family, he's been in a car for two days, with no money, no food," Mohamad said.

He explained that neighbours had tried to support him, but it was difficult, because everyone needed to help at this time.

Farhan al-Sawan and his family fled their flat just before the earthquake struck

Farhan, who has three girls and one boy, was given artificial limbs after losing the lower part of his legs in the fighting in Syria in 2017, but was forced to leave them in their flat, with their other possessions.

Without a wheelchair, he is now struggling to get around.

Mohamad said sending money did not seem enough, because of the scale of his brother's losses, adding: "We would really love to see him again, walking with his family and his neighbours."

He said he was ready to take his brother's family in and support them, if they were somehow able to come to the UK.

Farhan al-Sawan is struggling to help his family because he lost his lower legs in the Syrian war

Mohamad's friend Abdul al-Mahdi, another Syrian refugee who was acting as his interpreter, said he had family in Syria who were "also struggling", even though they were further from the epicentre.

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