Following the liberation of Kobanê by the YPG/YPJ forces, around 30 thousand people have returned to the town despite the cautious statements and threats still remaining in the town. The needs continuously increase together with the returns while the aid reaching Kobanê remains insufficient.

An executive of Mala Gel (People's House), Xalit Bozan, stresses that a corridor for the delivery of aid must urgently be opened to prevent a humanitarian tragedy in the town.

Since after the liberation of Kobanê under the leadership of YPG/YPJ on the 134th day of historic resistance against the attacks of the ISIS gangs launched with aim to occupy the town, people have begun to return to their hometown despite the warnings that the situation is not yet accurate enough to sustain the returns. As many as 30 thousand people have so far returned to the town, around 80 percent of which was devastated during the three months of battle.

Some of the returnees, who had to take shelter in North Kurdistan and Turkey, are settling back in their houses in the villages, while the others are being provided a shelter by Mala Gel. Those returning to the town after crossing the Mürşit Pınar border gate have firstly their names registered by asayesh units at the gate and are later directed to Mala Gel which helps them settle in houses that have not been ruined.

The needs of the returnees are met communally by the people themselves who are also trying to make the town liveable back again through limited means. They are rebuilding the damaged parts of their houses in solidarity with each other while also undertaking the security and cleaning of the town together with the municipality staff. 10 general stores, 2 pharmacies and 1 male hairdresser have been reopened so far thanks to the materials gathered from in the ruins of the town, while the furniture and other stuff available in workplaces before ISIS attacks are however not sufficient to meet the needs.

Mala Gel executive Xalit Bozan said the war situation still continues in Kobanê as the mines placed by the ISIS gangs are still to be cleaned in many parts of the town, adding that there have been many losses of lives as a result of the explosion of these mines.

Bozan said they are trying their best to shelter the returnees in a healthy and secure way, stressing that the goods in the city are though not enough to meet the needs of the increasingly returning citizens. He said they have shortage of food, clothing, baby formula, diesel that are still among the basic urgent needs needed to be met.

The aid reaching Kobanê remains insufficient in the face of the increasingly continuing returns, Bozan said, and called on international organisations, states and agencies to provide aid which -he added- could only be delivered through North Kurdistan as three sides of the town still remain under ISIS occupation.

Bozan emphasised that a humanitarian corridor must urgently be opened to enable the delivery of aid into Kobanê and to avoid a humanitarian tragedy in the coming period under these conditions.