Burr Ridge man shares devastating scenes of earthquake aftermath sent by loved ones in Turkey, Syria

BURR RIDGE, Ill. (WLS) -- A Burr Ridge man has loved ones and friends who remain unaccounted for in both Syria and Turkey.

Omar Dweydari said he felt helpless as he took in the devastating scenes from his homeland in Syria, where family and friends are buried under buildings and fighting to stay alive.

SEE ALSO | At least 3 Americans killed during earthquake in Turkey and Syria, US State Department confirms

"I don't know, it's depressing very depressing," Dweydari said, "but I can't do much."

For days now, he's been hearing about the brutal conditions in the aftermath of that earthquake.

Click here to donate to UNICEF to help earthquake victims

More than 12,000 people are confirmed dead across Syria and Turkey, and that number just keeps increasing. Those that are still alive are struggling to find food and shelter.

"If they didn't die from the earthquake, they're dying from being left alone," he said. "This is my family, everybody in Idlib is in family. Everybody in Syria is my family."

Videos coming in from his loved ones in recent days show buildings collapsing just feet away from people and roads torn to pieces, all while freezing rain comes falling down in 30-degree temperatures.

He said there isn't even enough space at local morgues to bury the bodies that have been found.

"The mosques are full, the schools are full," he said. "People are sleeping in the street."

Fundraising efforts have been kicked into high gear locally, with a number of organizations coming up with donations to send overseas.

But even with thousands of dollars raised, time is running out to actually get immediate help on the ground.

"Money doesn't feed you when you need food," Dweydari said. "Money can buy you food, but right now we need food, we need blankets, we need gasoline to warm up, we need shelters."

It's an unimaginable feeling for Dweydari, who says he can only pray for his loved ones to survive this.

"If there's a will, there's a way and I don't need your help next week, I need it yesterday," he said.