Afrin refugees launch forestation campaign in response to Turkish violations of nature

Since the occupation of Afrin canton in March 18 of 2018 by Turkey and its mercenary groups, they are committing the most heinous violations against the people, even worse they did not spare nature, as the burning, cutting and looting of thousands of fruit and forest trees are still continuing, such as olive, pine and cypress, which outlived 70 years for the purpose of trade and heating.

The Agricultural Authority and the People’s Municipality in the occupied Afrin canton, in cooperation with the people of Berxwedan camp of Fafin district in Al-Shahba district, began a campaign to plant different types of cypress and ornamental trees, and were distributed to the communes in the camp to grow them.

The campaign aims to plant 600 trees, including 250 solar trees within the camp, 200 cypress trees in the surrounding of the camp and main streets, in addition to 150 ornamental trees.

Residents also prepare about 2000 seedlings for planting later in the camp park, which are different types of roses, such as cloves, basil, and many other types.

About this campaign, the administrator of the municipality of "Berxwedan Camp", Walid Ahmed, stated that this campaign came in response to violations of the Turkish occupation of nature in Afrin.

He said: "The Turkish occupation continues to burn, steal, and cut all types of trees in Afrin canton with a view to trading in them. We, the people of Afrin, respond to the violations of the occupation through our participation in agricultural projects within Al-Shahba canton.

For us, nature is our life. We, the Afrin community, love nature and the environment, and we do not want to cause harm to it, so we cooperated with the people in the camp with this campaign to grow about 600 trees and 2000 different seedlings of roses within the camp.

In turn, Rabia Hassan from Afrin said: "We will continue to care for planting more trees, protect nature, and we will not allow the Turkish occupation with its fascist methods to undermine our strong will."

She continued: "We all cooperated in planting trees next to these tents, and wherever we go we will work to protect nature, as these are among the characteristics of us Afrin society."

The Human Rights Organization in the Afrin region revealed in a report that the Turkish occupation and the mercenary groups cut down more than 50 thousand different trees of olives, forest trees and fruit trees.

J,O

ANHA