Demands to support, protect IDPs of Afrin and people of Shahba

Amid the attacks by the mercenaries of the Turkish occupation on the Afrin and Shahba Canton, and the ongoing siege on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo, the Committee of Displaced People from Serê Kaniyê issued a statement to the international community, presenting demands for the protection of the people and displaced individuals. The statement reads:

"Once again, the tragedy and suffering of 2018 repeat themselves, after the Turkish invasion and its mercenaries of Afrin and its countryside, leading to the displacement of its original inhabitants. Today, our displaced Afrin people are once again facing similar challenges in the Shahba camps and the villages and countryside of Tal Rifaat, a small area that housed tens of thousands of displaced people after the Turkish invasion of Afrin and its countryside in 2018. Also, the siege imposed by the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo continues, repeating the same crime today.

On Sunday, the terrorist factions supported by the Turkish government and the Justice and Development Party’s army attacked and forced the displaced people residing in the Shahba camps and villages, along with the local residents, into forced displacement towards an unknown fate. This ongoing horrific crime follows the recent fall of Aleppo to the terrorists.

Tens of thousands of displaced people are facing immense challenges due to the brutality and terrorism of these armed factions, scattered in the open in these cold weather conditions, lacking essential daily needs such as food and shelter, and struggling to access healthcare. Furthermore, many suffer from psychological trauma due to the ongoing displacement."

The statement from the Committee of Displaced People from Serê Kaniyê called on the international community, human rights organizations, and the guarantor states to act to end the suffering and take effective steps to support and protect the displaced from Afrin, as well as the people of Shahba and Sheikh Maqsoud.

The demands outlined in the statement are as follows:

“*Immediate action to end the suffering of tens of thousands, including children, women, the elderly, the injured, and people with disabilities, who are trapped and besieged in the rural areas of Aleppo, warning against the risk of organized crimes by these terrorist groups in these areas.

*Working to lift the siege imposed by all parties on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo by the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra, and ensuring the protection of tens of thousands of civilians, both locals and displaced people from Afrin and other Syrian areas.

*Urging the United Nations, human rights bodies, and relief organizations to take effective steps to provide the necessary support and protection.

*Immediate intervention to stop this ongoing crime and suffering, and secure safe routes to facilitate their movement to stable areas that can protect them from terrorism and the brutality of armed factions.

*Acting with ethical and legal responsibility to stop these brutal attacks and Turkish invasions against Syrian territory and its people.

*The necessity of eliminating these terrorist organizations and groups in Syria, and working towards the withdrawal of the Turkish occupying state from Syrian lands to facilitate the return of the displaced people to their homes”. 

A-H

ANHA