Closure Tal Kojer crossing exacerbates refugees’ suffering in NE, Syria   

The Autonomous Administration for North and East Syria AANES has established 16 regular camps, which, according to the statistics provided by the Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, are located in 146 thousand displaced persons, refugees and displaced persons, mostly from Syrian areas. In addition to the existence of indiscriminate camps in the countryside of Raqqa, Manbij, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor, tens of thousands of Syrian displaced persons, as well as thousands living in villages, towns and cities.

To settling political score at the expense of humanitarian issues

The issue of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons has always been subject to political manipulation by the parties involved in Syrian affairs, especially by the Turkish occupation state and Russia.

But the most severe measure, which revealed the double standards of international powers and the parties influential in Syrian affairs in particular, was the closure of the Tal Kojer (Al-Yaarubiyah) crossing, in front of the entry of humanitarian aid sent by the United Nations across the border, and limiting its sending through the Damascus Government, in a move that deprived the displaced people of NE, Syria received UN humanitarian aid, and greatly reduced the volume of this aid, which cast a shadow over the humanitarian reality in the region.

Sheikhmus Ahmed, head of the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees Affairs in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, said, "There is a siege imposed on the Autonomous Administration's areas by regional countries and even Russia, using its veto in the Security Council to close the Tal Kojer crossing, which constitutes the main artery; for humanitarian aid to enter al-Hol Camp and the rest of the camps.”

He added, "After the Turkish occupation state occupied the city of Serêkaniyê /Ras al-Ain and the canton of Girê Spî / Tal Abyad, in 2019, and displaced their people, the Autonomous Administration established camps in Jazira and Raqqa, and the closure of the Tal Kojer crossing constituted a heavy burden on it, in terms of preventing the entry of aid and the exit of a number of people Humanitarian organizations are from the region, so we called on the international bodies, especially the Security Council and the United Nations, to take a decision to open the crossing.”

In 2014, the UN Security Council allowed the delivery of aid to Syria across the borders with Iraq, Jordan and Turkey to reach areas outside the control of the Damascus government, through 4 border crossings without government approval, and this mechanism continued until 2020, when Russia used its veto the extension of this mechanism, and as a result, the Tal Kojer crossing that connects NE, Syria with Iraq was closed.

Under Russian and Chinese pressures, the delivery of aid was restricted to only one crossing in 2022, which is the Bab al-Hawa crossing in the Idlib region, which Turkey and the mercenaries of "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) classified as "terrorist" have.

Heavy burden on AANES

Ahmed said, "There are 16 regular camps, established by the Autonomous Administration, comprising 146 thousand people, in addition to dozens of random camps scattered in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Tabqa and Manbij, in addition to establishing camps and shelters in the al-Shahba area for the displaced from Afrin regions."

He added, "According to the statistics, there are hundreds of thousands who have taken refuge in the areas of the Autonomous Administration, from the conflict areas inside Syria, which constitutes a great burden on the Autonomous Administration, in light of the international powers, especially the United Nations, ignoring the suffering of the displaced and the Autonomous Administration in securing supplies."

Ahmed indicated, "There is no mechanism for the entry of aid across the border, because the Tal Kojer crossing is closed, and the UNHCR's aid comes through the Damascus government, and that these institutions deal with Damascus, and this aid is very small, compared to the large numbers of displaced people present, in addition to the corruption that exists in those parties

Ahmed stressed that "only the Autonomous Administration, and some non-governmental and local organizations are providing aid to the displaced in the camps."

In the face of poor aid access, the Autonomous Administration alone provides assistance to the displaced who are deployed in its areas, but the increasing number exceeds its ability to provide all assistance.

The United Nations does not recognize the displaced from the occupied territories

Ahmed said that "the United Nations did not enter the camps of the displaced who were displaced by the Turkish occupation state from the occupied areas, did not adopt or recognize them, and did not provide them with any assistance."

T/ Satt

ANHA