The people of Afrin had been living in peace on their own lands since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, and the city had been home to hundreds of thousands of refugees. But the people have now taken to the migration route after the Turkish state attacked.

The people of Afrin have been killed in hundreds, wounded in thousands, and all their homes were looted by the Turkish state and Al Qaeda, ISIS and Al-Nusra gangs for not bowing down to Turkish colonialism. Turkish invasion has forced hundreds of thousands of people from Afrin out of their homes. It is estimated that 150 to 200 thousand people have settled in the Shehba region. Now these people live under harsh conditions in half-demolished buildings, courtyards, mosques, schools and cars in Shehba.

Speaking to Rojava’s ANHA News Agency, Ezidi people living in Afrin who also migrated to Shehba along with other residents, stated that the Turkish state aims to perpetrate another Shengal massacre, and that they moved from Afrin to avoid a probable massacre like the one committed in Shengal back in 2014.

An Ezidi woman, Suad Hiso, urged international community to show sensitivity in the face of ongoing attacks as peoples of Afrin faced a threat of great massacre which forced them to migrate.

“The Turkish state rained bombs on us”, said another Ezidi woman by the name of Meryem Ebdo, telling that; “We especially migrated due to the threat of massacre against Ezidis in consideration of the fact that the Turkish state committed numerous massacres against minorities throughout history.”

Fatma Ilyas pointed out that attacks by the Turkish state and affiliated gang groups against Afrin are carried out without considering any humanitarian values. According to her, attacks target the co-existence of different peoples and faith groups established in Afrin. She underlined that Afrin will be cleared of invaders and they will return home.