Afrin IDPs in Shehba: “We will resist until we return home”

Afrin IDPs living in in Shehba camp voiced their reaction to the attacks of the Turkish state and vowed that they will resist until their land is liberated.

People in Syria have been forced to live under challenging conditions because of the war ongoing for ten years and external interferences. Thousands of people immigrated to the camp in Shehba after the Turkish state occupied Afrin. The camp in the village of Kiştear in Sherawa district is located one kilometer away from the regions occupied by the Turkish state. In the east, the camp is close to M5 highway where Russian forces are deployed.

The camp is home to 492 citizens who live in 110 tents. The occupant Turkish state constantly conducts aerial surveillances and attacks amidst silence of the Russian forces deployed in the region. In response, people living in the camp express that they will continue their resistance in Shehba.

‘ATTACKS CAUSE DAMAGES’

Dibe Eli El-Şerif who immigrated from Aleppo to Afrin after the conflicts between mercenary gangs allied to the Turkish state and Damascus government said, “We abandoned our lands because of the conflicts. We moved to Afrin because it was safe. The Autonomous Administration has been nice to us. However, the Turkish state could not digest this and attacked Afrin. A child of mine aged 9 was martyred in the airstrikes of the Turkish state, while my other child aged 9 was injured. They slaughtered all peoples; Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens.”

The woman pointed out that they were forced to move from Afrin to Shehba and continued, “The Turkish state attacks us here, too. It attacks with artillery every day. However, we will continue the resistance until liberation of Afrin. Now I dream of returning to Afrin, not Aleppo.”

 ‘PEOPLES LIVE TOGETHER HERE’

Likewise, Mihemed Mistefa told that they immigrated to Shehba after Afrin was invaded. He told, “The Turkish state attacks us every day. We, all peoples in Syria, live together here. The Turkish state wants to break the solidarity of the peoples. Shrapnel pieces from their cannonballs damage our tents. Russia, despite its guarantor mission, pays no attention. We will resist until we return to our lands.”

‘NO SUPPORT BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS’

Co-chair of Shehba and Veger Camp Council, Cigerxwin Şêxo stated that: “People live in camps in many regions of Syria. These camps have several needs. In this context, international organisations do not take any responsibility. Furthermore, The Turkish state and its mercenary gangs continuously attack the camps.”

Şexo pointed out that the presence of Russian forces in the region did not change anything and added, “Russia whitewashes the attacks of the Turkish state and international organisations do not uphold their humanitarian and ethical responsibilities.”