Over 20,000 IDP families arrive amid intensified calls to reopen Tal Koçer crossing

Sheikhmous Ahmed, Head of the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees in North and East Syria, stated that they had received massive numbers of families forcibly displaced from Aleppo and Afrin, and Shahba Canton over the past two days.

Ahmed disclosed that more than 20,000 forcibly displaced families have arrived at shelter centers in Raqqa and Tabqa.

He described the displaced people's conditions as extremely dire and noted that hundreds of families remain in the open despite the efforts of the Autonomous Administration to provide them shelter.

Ahmed emphasized that the Autonomous Administration is facing significant challenges and difficulties.

Most Shelters Located in Schools

Ahmed explained that the displaced were initially received in the cities of Tabqa and Raqqa, where they were temporarily housed in schools within the cities and surrounding areas. Due to the overwhelming number of arrivals, some displaced persons were directed to cities and regions within the Euphrates and Jazera Cantons.

Ahmed said, "The Crisis Cell in Tabqa has opened 235 shelter centers, most of them in schools, and 60 centers in the city of Raqqa, with each center accommodating around 40 families."

He also noted that the ongoing instability in Syria and the continuation of the war are causing an increasing flow of displaced persons, prompting efforts to establish a dedicated refugee camp in coordination with the United Nations.

No Camps for IDPs of Afrin and Shahba

Ahmed denied any plans to establish a camp specifically for the displaced from Afrin and Shahba Canton, and Aleppo.

He extended gratitude to all residents across the regions for their humanitarian stance in receiving and supporting refugees.

The Head of the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees also appealed to international organizations, the United Nations, and the Security Council to reopen the Tal Koçer/Yaroubiya border crossing to allow aid into the North and East Syria region.

He called for support for the Democratic Autonomous Administration and the forcibly displaced persons from Afrin and Shahba, and Aleppo, urging a serious stance on the humanitarian violations committed by the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries.

Thousands of forcibly displaced persons have been arriving in the North and East Syria region over the past week. This follows a large-scale offensive launched by "Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham" mercenaries alongside Turkish occupation mercenaries on Aleppo and Idlib starting on November 27. This offensive is ongoing.

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ANHA