Looted homes, destroyed villages… tragedy of IDPs returning to Serekaniye

As a number of displaced individuals have begun returning individually and voluntarily to their homes from which they were forcibly displaced following the occupation of the city of Serekaniye by Turkey and its affiliated armed groups in late 2019, the immense scale of destruction inflicted on villages and homes in the region has come to light, reflecting a tragic reality beyond description.

During a visit by several displaced residents to the village of “Umm Shuayfa,” located north of the city of Tal Tamr on the road to the city of Zerghan, to assess the situation of their properties in preparation for return, scenes documented by locals emerged, a copy of which has reached us.

These scenes show systematic looting of household contents, along with widespread vandalism affecting what remained of the homes. The houses have become mere empty shells, lacking the most basic necessities of life, according to their owners.

The suffering is not limited to the destruction of property; it extends to the deep psychological pain experienced by the owners as they witness their memories reduced to rubble.

The owners affirm that every corner of these homes once held a part of their lives, and every wall bore witness to daily moments that were forcibly taken from them. Today, they return as strangers to places that were once their home.

The documented scenes, along with testimonies from the displaced, confirm that all villages under the control of the Turkish occupation and its affiliated armed groups have either been completely destroyed or partially devastated and depopulated, rendering them unfit for living or for the return of their residents.

These areas have suffered comprehensive devastation, whether through direct destruction or systematic looting, turning them into disaster-stricken zones lacking even the most basic conditions for human stability.

The attacks carried out by the Turkish occupation and its affiliated armed groups on the cities of Serekaniye and Tal Abyad / Gire Spi in late 2019 resulted in the displacement of more than 150,000 families from the two cities, due to violations and crimes committed against civilians.

Under these circumstances, the displaced people of Serekaniye continue to hope for a safe return to their city, free from threats to their lives, and contingent upon the departure of those who have seized their properties, in accordance with the provisions of recent agreements.

The agreement signed on January 29 between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Interim Government stipulates, in one of its clauses, the guarantee of a safe return for the displaced to their homes and regions, as well as the restoration of their property rights.

ANHA