IDPs from Afrin: Our biggest struggle is leaving homeland

The forcibly displaced people of Afrin and Shahba, due to the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, currently residing in the city of Amuda, are facing harsh living conditions. In interviews with ANHA Agency, they highlighted that the greatest challenge they face is the forced displacement and separation from their land and homes. 

Daily Struggles in a School

In the former Al-Maari School in Amuda, 24 displaced families from Afrin reside, as the school has been turned into a temporary shelter. These families suffer from a lack of water, frequent power outages, and the absence of basic necessities. Additionally, diseases are spreading due to high temperatures, worsened by the lack of essential services. 

Repeated Displacement and Loss of Safety

Mustafa Hanan, a forcibly displaced citizen, explained that his experience with displacement began in Aleppo, then Afrin, followed by Shahba, and finally Amuda, without ever feeling stable at any stage. He confirmed that "returning to Afrin is not safe as long as the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries are present, as many who tried to return were detained or even killed." 

Hanan added: "No one cares about our situation. Organizations come only to register names and then disappear. This neglect leaves a significant psychological impact, especially with the lack of job opportunities, income, electricity, water, and food." 

He also noted that their homes and properties in Afrin have been looted and vandalized, saying: "We left everything behind, which adds to our psychological and material suffering." He continued: "Everyone asks us what we need. We don’t need anything except to return to Afrin, to be embraced by our homes as they once did." 

Hanan called on humanitarian organizations to take their responsibilities seriously and follow up on the conditions of the displaced, rather than making superficial visits, emphasizing that "water and electricity are the top priorities." 

Despite all the pain, Mustafa Hanan expressed his confidence in returning to Afrin one day, saying: "God willing, we have hope of returning, and we are certain of it," after the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries are expelled. 

Repeated Displacement and Humanitarian Suffering

Rashid Alo, another displaced person from one of Afrin’s occupied villages, spoke about his suffering through displacement, which has occurred four times—between Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud, Afrin, and Shahba, before settling in Amuda. 

He said: "I used to own a carpentry workshop, which was my main source of income, but I lost everything. In Shahba, I rented land to farm, but when harvest time came, the mercenaries deliberately burned it, depriving us of our livelihood." 

He added that the support from the local community has slightly alleviated their suffering, but stressed that "what we lack is our homeland." He emphasized: "Our love for Afrin never leaves us, and every olive branch reminds us of it.

Rashid also held the international community, particularly the United Nations, responsible for failing to facilitate the return of the displaced to their homes and for not expelling the occupiers from Afrin.

Child’s Hope for Returning to Afrin

Kamiliya Ismail, a 10-year-old girl, expressed the pain of displacement with innocence. She said her family endured a harsh journey in cars during the cold of winter, only to find themselves now facing the scorching summer heat without protection or access to education. She has been unable to attend school due to difficulties understanding the language of the area they were displaced to. 

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ANHA