The forces affiliated with the Damascus government are besieging the Shehba region and the Turkish state's attacks on the region continue. After the occupation of Afrin in 2018, hundreds of thousands of Afrin residents had to migrate to different parts of Syria. More than 300 thousand people from Afrin live in Shehba, where most of them settled.

Shehba region, which was liberated from ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra mercenaries by YPG and YPJ fighters in 2017, is located between Afrin and Aleppo. The region consists of many villages and towns, the largest of which is Til Rifet.

Til Rıfet has been subjected to many attacks by the invading Turkish state. As a result of the attacks, 28 people, including 8 children, were killed. The Damascus government, which does not allow fuel, medicine and food to pass through, continues the blockade of Shehba. While the fuel shortage caused power outages throughout the district, hospitals were unable to provide service.

Attacks will not break our will

Speaking on the issue, Meryem Ebdulrehman Omer from Afrin talked about the difficulties they experienced and said: “The Damascus government has been imposing an embargo on the people for 6 years. In recent days, this embargo has been further deepened. Shehba has been facing a heavy siege for 16 days. We cannot provide food, medicine and fuel. On the other hand, the Turkish state is constantly bombing the region. It carries out these attacks in front of the whole world and no one raises his voice. Neither the Turkish state nor the Damascus government will be able to break our will with these attacks. We resisted in Afrin until our last moment, and we will continue to resist from now on. One day, Afrin will definitely be freed from occupation and we will return to our lands."

International organizations should come to the region

Cegerxwîn Şêxo underlined the 58-day resistance of the people of Afrin in 2018, when Turkey and its mercenaries attacked and eventually occupied the city, and said: “After Afrin was occupied, the people were forced to move to the Shehba region. After the settlement of people in Shehba, the Damascus government began to impose an embargo on these regions. On the other hand, the occupying Turkish state and its mercenaries attacked many places, especially Til Rıfet. This blockade and attacks still continue. The aim of the Damascus government and the Turkish state is to force the people out of Shehba and completely remove them from Afrin. Human rights and international organizations should come to the Shehba region. They must expose the crimes of the Turkish state and ensure that the blockade imposed by the Damascus government ends. Because these regions are currently under intense siege. Hospitals have become inoperable.”