Hundreds of thousands of people from Afrin who migrated to Shehba after Turkish invasion attacks live in camps with insufficient resources. The people of Afrin receive no support from international aid organizations and are calling on the UN to return to their lands.

Following the invasion, looting and genocidal attacks by the Turkish state and their allied Al Qaeda gangs, the people of Afrin migrated to the Shehba region on the Afrin Canton administration’s decision, and they continue to struggle against several pressing issues. The people of Afrin don’t want to go too far from their lands, and continue their calls to return to their lands under United Nations (UN) supervision. But the UN and international institutions continue their silence in the face of the people’s plight.
According to the joint census by the administrations of Afrin and Shehba cantons, there are over 175.000 people from Afrin in the Shehba region and 10 villages in Afrin’s Sherawa district, living under harsh conditions. The people who left their homes with just the clothes on their backs during the attacks, looting and invasion by the Turkish state and their allied gangs do not receive any support from international aid organizations.

“CONDITIONS ARE HARSH”

Xeyrî Reşîd settled in the newly built Serdem Camp in the Til Sosin village of Shehba’s Fafinê subdistrict after migrating from the Kaxrê village of Afrin’s Mabeta district stated that they are struggling with several hardships: “After we left our village, we went to Afrin but the Turkish state continued to attack. We then came to Shehba. We truly are living under very harsh conditions here. Children get sick. Tents get too hot during the day here, and we can’t find any shelter.”

“NO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION HAS OFFERED SUPPORT”

Reşîd said they have received no support from any international organizations and demanded involvement by the UN and other international forces so they can return: “We want to go back to our lands, but we can’t go under these conditions. We want to return under the supervision of the UN and international forces, with their involvement.”

“WE WON’T ABANDON AFRIN”

Fikret Mihemed Cefer who migrated to Afrin from Aleppo but was forced to move again due to the Turkish state invasion and genocidal attacks said: “We migrated from Aleppo to Afrin, where we lived in peace. We said nothing would happen but the enemy rained bombs on us there as well. They want us to abandont Afrin to them. But we never will.”

“UN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY”

Ibrahim Reşîd stated that nobody but the Kurdish people offered them any support, and said: “We are at the mercy of strangers now, we are ruined. But we survive, thanks to the friends. If we have a piece of bread, that is thanks to the friends.” Zeynep Qemûs called on te UN to take responsibility and said: “We are in a truly difficult situation here. We left Afrin, but nobody asks how we are. Summer is coming, and it will get even more difficult to live here. We want to return to Afrin. We want the United Nations to take responsibility.”