IDPs from Afrin demand safe return, withdrawal occupation

The suffering of Afrin’s displaced women continues, as they face harsh living conditions with the onset of winter. They express hope for a safe return to Afrin once Turkish forces and their militias are expelled.

Furida Khalil, 35, from Afrin and currently residing at Al-Hassan Ibn Al-Haytham school in Raqqa, said, “With winter approaching, living conditions inside the schools have become extremely difficult due to the lack of basic necessities.” She emphasized that their only wish is to return safely to their homes in Afrin.

Furida called for full security and assurances that civilians will not face any threats before returning, adding: “To return to Afrin, areas must be free of danger, basic living services must be available, and women and children must be protected from any threat. We—the women, men, and children of Afrin—want to return to safe homes.”

Similarly, Salwa Ahmed Al-Hajji, another displaced woman from Afrin living in Raqqa, said their primary demand is to return to the land they are deeply attached to.

She stated: “We call on all organizations to intervene for our return. We want our land and homes. We lived in Afrin peacefully, and we are very attached to our land. We demand a safe return to our beloved Afrin.”

The forced displacement of Afrin residents is not new. Their suffering began in 2018 when Turkish forces and allied militias launched a brutal attack on the city, resulting in mass forced displacement to the Shahba region.

Displacement occurred again in early December 2024 as Turkish attacks intensified on Tal Rifat and Shahba, forcing over 100,000 people to flee once more, this time to Raqqa, Tabqa, Jazira, and Euphrates regions in NE Syria.

Amina Al-Hassan, from Afrin, explained that she initially fled to Shahba and then to Raqqa due to worsening conditions. She added: “We, the women of Afrin, demand a safe return to Afrin, but it is not safe now under occupation and militias. They must leave our land and homes so we can return.”

She continued: “We call on the international community and humanitarian organizations to intervene and find a real solution that allows us to return safely to our homes.”

a.k

ANHA