Ana SayfaÇeviriAfrin citizens in the midst of displacement: The world’s conscience should see what is happening here

Afrin citizens in the midst of displacement: The world’s conscience should see what is happening here

KARINCA NEWS – Hundreds of thousands citizens of Afrin were forced to leave the city in convoys because of Turkey’s attacks against the city center of Afrin, co-orchestrated with Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups. Afrin citizens to whom we spoke sum up the situation by saying: “We welcomed so many immigrants in Afrin, now we are ourselves immigrants.” The reaction and the call of the families who are railing against the silence of international organizations are the same. “The world’s conscience should see what is happening here,” Afrin citizens express while calling for help from international organizations, especially the UN. Leyla Xelil, aged 64, who has been forced to leave her home says, “Those who talk about human rights should support us in the name of humanity.”


News by Fatma Koçak


Internal migration which began with the attacks by groups from Turkey and FSA on the January 20th, continued for 57 days. Thousands of peasants had to flee to the city center from their villages where armed conflicts were happening.

Populated by 700 thousand people before the beginning of the attacks, according to the data provided by the Afrin Canton, the city has become a place where it is almost impossible to pace around for the last 30 days. While people lived on in the construction sites and settled in shops, two or three families per house had to stay together in existing places.

The water problem in the city emerged when Meydanke Dam, the water source of the city, was hit by Turkish warplanes.

Additionally, the shortage of bread started given that the Aleppo road, which is the only gate of the city, was targeted and shot by howitzers.

The Afrin Canton tried compensate the victims’ deprivations by distributing free bread and carrying water to the houses from the wells.

However, attacks against the city, which started 57 days ago, were directed toward the city center in the last two weeks. The city was targeted by warplanes and howitzers. In the attacks specifically targeting civilians, lastly, Avrin Hospital was hit on March 16th, around noon time, causing 16 people to lose their lives. Among the civilians shot in the hospital were 3 doctors and 3 pregnant women.

From March 15th onwards, with the increasing attacks against civilians, Democratic Syrian Forces (DSF) began to evacuate the city to protect the people.

Leaving behind their homes and lives, hundreds of thousands of people have been on the roads with the vehicles they found. Even tractors and trucks were filled with people, and thousands of vehicles formed long queues, starting from Afrin and reaching till the Canton of al-Shahba.

People have begun to settle in the empty houses or the corners they found vacant in al-Shahba villages. Many of them put blankets on the ground and sleep in the backyards since there is not much place.

The authorities from al-Shahba Canton express that they do not have the resources to shelter and to feed hundreds of thousands of people in case there is no international aid. They are calling for aid from all organizations, including the UN.

On the other hand, Afrin citizens who have reached the villages nearby al-Shahba rail against the silence of international organizations.

“We welcomed so many immigrants in Afrin, now we are ourselves immigrants”

Hevin Sileman has fled from Afrin’s Ashrafieh district and now he stays with his 3 daughters and his son on a blanket thrown next to the corner of a wall in a village of al-Shahba (Tıl Şeyir). Hevin got out of the city during the DSF evacuation and he could only take a blanket along himself. He tells that he previously migrated from Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsud district to Afrin because of the war.

“I know exactly what the gangs lining up with Turkey have done to people. That is why I had to leave my home to protect my honor and my daughter’s honor,” says Hevin. He rails against the unresponsiveness of the international society toward Afrin where hundreds of people were slaughtered and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced:

“The Turkish state and the gangs came to destroy the houses and the villages of Kurds. We know well what they do to women. That is why we left our home behind. The world knows how barbaric they are but everyone keeps silent when it comes to Kurd’s death. We welcomed so many immigrants in Afrin, now we are ourselves immigrants.”

Hevin says he lives in a corner next to a wall and is afraid that his children will become sick when it rains. He expresses that all organizations, including the UN, should provide support and aid.

“One day we will return to our home, we will return to Afrin”

Aged 64, Leyla Xelil first fled to the city center of Afrin from the village of Tilifê because of the attacks and then, two days ago, she had to leave the city.

Leyla, who came to the village of Fafin in al-Shahba together with her two children found a backyard to stay. “We did not deserve these. One day, we will return to our home. Afrin is no one’s, it is ours,” she asserts.

“We have learned that the gangs are now burning the trees in our village, they plundered our home. They will not get away with it. I wait for the day I will return to our village,” says Leyla after describing at length the olive trees and the beauty of her village in spring time.

She continues her words by indicating “If the world stays silent against this cruelty, it is collaborating to this oppression. Our house, our place have been invaded, we now live in a backyard. Those who talk about human rights should support us in the name of humanity.”

“The world’s conscience should see what is happening here”

Mihemed Ahmad also came to the city center from the village of Dikmedash of Shera 45 days ago.
Mihemed who said that his village was plundered, states that they lived together with 6 families in a construction site in Afrin.

He indicates that they had to leave the city in a tractor and he calls for attention from all organizations, including the UN.

Mihemed draws attention that hundreds of thousands of people came to the villages of al-Shahba villages and he states that he was fortunate to find an empty house in Ahras.

He rails against the worldwide silence by exclaiming to international organizations including the UN: “See this human tragedy. Russia and Turkey have agreed to displace us from our home and our land. The worldwide agreements make Kurds’ heads a target.” He further reacts “Nobody cares about our death or our displacement. Institutions silent to the occupation should see this humanitarian plight. We are facing starvation. The world’s conscience should see what is happening here.”