3,700 people from Kobanê who had cross the border into Suruç, North Kurdistan, for security reasons in the face of attacks of ISIS, are staying in a tent city established by the Suruç municipality.

Olcay Kanlıbaş, a member of the Local Administrations Commission of the Party of Democratic Regions, says they have been working hard in order to meet all the needs of the people from Kobanê, adding that they lack sufficient tents. Kanlıbaş called on everyone to be sensitive about the issue.

Many of the people who were evacuated from the villages around Kobanê and from the town following the brutal attacks of ISIS that started on 15 September went to Suruç for safety reasons. While some of the people arriving at Suruç were welcomed by their relatives at their homes, the others were housed in tents, in the stockrooms of shops, in mosques, wedding halls or have had to stay in the streets.

In the tent cities established by the Suruç municipality for the people of Kobanê and Rojava, there are currently 3,700 people. Teams consisting of workers of the municipality and volunteers meet to a great extent the needs of the people, despite limited facilities.

Giving information about their work, a member of the Local Administrations Commission of the Party of Democratic Regions (DBP) said they are working to establish a new tent city with some 500-600 tents, which will take the name of the YPJ fighter, Arin Miran, who sacrificed her life to stop the ISIS gangs in the clashes on the Mistenur hill.

Recalling that the tent cities were established temporarily at the beginning for the people of Kobanê as they were expectating to return soon, Kanlıbaş said the current tents were not suitable for the winter conditions so that they need new and more suitable ones. Kanlıbaş said the people from Kobanê do not want to stay in the disaster tents built by the state institution AFAD and added: “People don’t want to go to the tents of AFAD. They lack confidence as they are the tents of the state. They come to the tents of the municipality. At the moment around 3 thousand people are awaiting tents. AFAD negatively responds to our demand for new tents. We demanded that the tent cities be built by us. They only provide some small aid despite our initiatives. For example, there is a problem of electricity. We have electricity here, but TEDAŞ is not undertaking its responsibilities for the other tent cities”.

Kanlıbaş further added that although there is sensitivity about the campaigns launched for the victims, it is more important to continue the campaigns for a longer period. Listing the needs, Kanlıbaş said: “The children need parks and social activities. We try to provide health services via volunteer health workers. We primarily need tents for winter and to ensure the needs of the children and women are met. Additionally, it is important that portable toilets and showers are urgently provided”.

The people who stay in the tents are sure that they will return to their homes. They also say that they are well treated in Suruç despite some minor shortcomings. People also say they need tents and basic aid.