AA delegation visits displaced people's shelters

On Monday, a delegation from the Autonomous Administration conducted a field visit to shelters housing displaced people from Afrin and Shahba in Qamishlo, to assess their humanitarian situation and identify the major difficulties they face.

The delegation included Ilham Ahmed; the co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration, Abdel Karim Omer; the Autonomous Administration's representative in Damascus, and Kadar Beri; the director of the Kurds Without Borders Center. The visit was coordinated with the Afrin and Shahba Displaced Persons Affairs Council, Layla Haftaro; the co-chair of the Afrin and Shahba Council in Qamishlo, Jihan Hussein and Ibrahim Haftaro, the co-chairs of the Afrin and Shahba Association.

The tour included the shelters housing displaced people from Afrin and Shahba who fled from Tabqa, Raqqa, and Aleppo as a result of attacks launched by factions of the Syrian Interim Government. The delegation listened to their demands and needs, primarily their demand for a safe return to their homes, the restoration of their rights, security and peace in all areas. In addition, ways to provide them with support and assistance were discussed.

During a speech, Ilham Ahmed, the co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations, explained, "More than 118 schools are currently being used as shelters for displaced people from Afrin, Sheikh Maqsoud, Tabqa, and Raqqa, in addition to those displaced from Serê Kaniyê and Girê Spî." She noted that the number of displaced people in Qamishlo is estimated at around 80,000.

She indicated that the presence of displaced people in schools has led to the suspension of the educational process, amid a severe shortage of basic necessities. She emphasized that the primary demand of the displaced is to return to their homes and original areas.

Ilham Ahmed added that the recent agreement signed with the Interim Government included a clause specifically addressing the return of displaced people to Afrin, Shahba, Sheikh Maqsoud, and other areas, stressing the need for international monitoring and pressure to ensure a safe and swift return, and for the Interim Government to follow up on this matter.

Ilham Ahmed emphasized that achieving stability in Syria is directly linked to the safe return of displaced persons to their homes, stressing the necessity of the departure of those who had occupied the homes of Afrin residents and the handover of the region's administration to its original inhabitants in a way that guarantees its protection and proper management.

Regarding the city of Kobani, Ilham Ahmed described the situation there as tragic, confirming the continuation of the siege. She emphasized the urgent need to lift the siege, restore electricity and water supplies, and allow the entry of humanitarian aid, noting that the Autonomous Administration will exert every effort to deliver aid to the city.

ANHA