Original PDF Link: https://goo.gl/1wWfdM

Contents

• Afrin
• Afrin Situation until now (Suspicion of Chemical attack in Rajo area in 2.2.2018)
• The Causes of Immigration to Afrin Province
• Humanitarian Situation in Afrin
• Registered Victims
• Heyva Sor a Kurd
• Contact Details

 

AFRIN

Afrin is a district as well as a city that is 40 Kilometers to the North West of Aleppo, and it has become part of self-autonomous rule since its establishment in 2012. Later it became part of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, declared in 2016.

The region’s population was nearly 500,000 before 2011. It is comprised of many towns and circa 380 villages. After 2011 and due to massive military operations between the regime and the opposition in nearby Idlib and Northern Aleppo suburbs, in addition to the fall of opposition-controlled areas in Aleppo city to the regime in December 2016, the area was considered as a safe haven for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from many areas all over Syria. The number of IDPs is roughly 250,000, in addition to many families from the region who used to live in Aleppo before 2011. The current unconfirmed number of the civilians in Afrin region is around 800,000 people including IDPs.

Despite many battles between the SDF that control the area, and some Islamist groups (including AQ’s Nusra front) and other armed groups, the SDF maintained its control over the region since it took over in 2012.

SITUATION OF AFRIN

The Turkish state and some Islamist groups have started a military attack on the 20th of January 2018 with an intensive bombardment by Turkish warplanes targeting military sites and civil ordinations in Afrin.

Major attacks from the border with Turkey, starting from Turkey’s soil, are targeting the Northern, Eastern and Western areas of Afrin region, causing massive displacement within the region and many civilian casualties according to UN; until now more than 16.000 have been displaced since 20.1.2018

Due to the bombardments, humanitarian violations on civilians and displacements the area is facing a humanitarian crisis and disaster.

There are grave concerns for the civilians who are in the remote areas and who lack access to healthcare, shelter and food.

The Turkish military attack does not only target Afrin, but they also 2 target the Kobane and Jazira cantons.

SDF spokesman in February 1 2018 has declared that in the period between Jan 26, 2018 until February 1 2018;

• their forces have been fighting with Turkey and its allies inside Afrin more than 250 times
• More than 1893 rocket came inside Afrin from Turkey
• Turkey used internationally forbidden weapon.

In 2.2.2018  Heyva  Sor  a  Kurd  Medical  team  in  Rajo  has reported a suspension of Chemical attack: 3

At 3:45 p.m. 5 Asayish forces in name of (Abduletif Ibrahim 32 years old-Ahmed Husni Abdo 37 years old- Melaz Alafo 22 years old – Mamo Jemo 30 years old) came to the trauma stabilization point of KRC with symptoms of (Nausea- vomiting- difficulties in Breathing- partially unconscious) . Those five Asayish members were protected inside a cave, and a rocket targeted the front side of the cave after they were protected inside.

KRC team who registered those cases has been trained in the chemical response in Raqqa battle for such attack, based on WHO standards and in project under Echo support in Raqqa governorate. The team could not analyze the situation very well according to the team leader Jamila Hame, but they get the PPE anyway for protection and decontamination procedures.

The fear of a chemical attack stems from the fact that the Turkish state considers the Kurdish forces in Syria as part of PKK, and before now Turkey in many periods used chemical weapons against PKK in Turkey.

The Asayish forces group those were in a cave in Rajo , they came to KRC casualty collection point with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and difficulties in breathing

THE CAUSES OF IMMIGRATING TO AFRIN PROVINCE

Afrin is located in the northwestern corner of Syria, and it is 60 Km away from the Aleppo province. Immigration to the province began since the beginning of the crisis in 2011 because of the clashes between the Syrian regime and the free army. With the intensification of the conflict, the influx of refugees to the province increased to more than 300,000 IDPs from various Syrian regions near Afrin (such as Aleppo, Hamma, Al-Raqqa, Idlib, Kobani, Izaz, Al-Tabqqa, Ihzer, Tel Hasel, Tel Aaran, Kefr Naya) and other regions.

IDPs distributed to the villages, cities of Afrin and the shelters as follows:

• in the province center: 143505 IDPs.
• in Sherawa area: 76005 IDPs.
• in Jendres area: 43510 IDPs.
• in Rajo area: 6970 IDPs.

• in Shran area: 10105 IDPs.
• in Shekh Al-Hadid area: 780 IDPs.
• in Bilbil area: 1645 IDPs.
• in Mabata area: 2207 IDPs.

The total number of the registered IDPs are 284,727.

One of the most important reasons that led people to move to the province is the security and peace in Afrin and the relatively easy access to Afrin, albeit being in proximity to the area of conflict.

Afrin has been a region in which predominantly Kurds were living. Since the start of the war it has become a mosaic of ethnic/religious diversity as refugees from many neighboring cities have turned to the region for aid. The self-administration helped facilitate the entry of IDPs into the province. This has led the IDPs to integrate into society and lead a normal life without discrimination.

After a significant increase in IDPs numbers the self-administration has decided to create Rubar camp near Al-Basela village in Sherawa area. However, the continuation of the Syrian crisis and the attacks of the Turkish state has increased the rate of immigration to the camp. Because the capacity to take in IDPs had to be increase, it was necessary to quickly initiate the establishment of Al-Shahba camp near Kashtar village in the Sherawa area.

About Rubar Camp:

Rubar camp is located in the east of the Afrin canton, about 25 kilometers away from the center of Afrin city. The camp was finally established on 27/9/2014 with a preliminary capacity of 100 tents, providing 575 families a safe place for the Syrian refugees fleeing from the death specter around the conflict area (Tal Rafat, Maraa, Shekh Issa, Babis, Al-Bab, izaz, Kefr Naseh, Aleppo and its western countryside, Al-Qunitera, Hamma, Humus, Tabqa, Idlib and Damascus countryside).

Unfortunately, the Turkish state has purposefully attacked the camp with missiles more than once, and the children of the camp came out objecting to the bombing on 30/7/2017. On 18/1/2018 the camp was hit by shrapnel which came from Turkish invaded territory. As a result, at least seven families left the camp for fear of their lives, being yet again running from war.

About Al-Shahba Camp:

The camp is located on the southeast of Afrin, about 25 Km away from it. The self-administration has established this camp on 14/7/2016 after the Turkish state attacks on the northern Aleppo countryside. The clashes continue around the camp between the opposition and ISIS.

The camp capacity reached 270 tents inhabited by 273 families. The migrant families living here came from several areas (such as Harbl, Al-Shekh Issa, Im Hush, Al-Wrdia, Tel Mksour, Al-Shahba’s dam areas, Al-Bab, Menbeg, Izaz, Raqqa and Tabqa). Many other IDPs/immigrants distributed to the cities and villages of Afrin.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN AFRIN

Victims in the period 20.1.2018 until 29.1.2018

Children: wounded (27), dead (22)

Female victims: wounded (28), dead (10)

Male victims: wounded (111), dead (25)

 

Heyva Sor a Kurd (the Kurdish Red Crescent) is aiming to organize aid and support for people of Afrin. Under the actual urgent situation, the only organization providing humanitarian aid in Afrin is our institution.
HEYVA SOR A KURD

Heyva Sor a Kurd is a Kurdish institution carrying out humanitarian aid activities in light of universal values and principles with the aim of providing help to anyone who suffers war, disaster and poverty regardless of their ethnicity, religion and political preferences.

At the moment we are aiding the civilians bombardment of invasive Turkish war planes and transferring the wounded civilians from the war hospitals and medical centers.

 

Needs

Medical drugs, emergency drugs and medical supplies for ambulances

Ambulances,

Food supplies,

Winter clothes

Dairy products for babies and children.

URGENT APPEAL:

International solidarity is needed more than ever to bring the current humanitarian disaster in Afrin to a halt. We are inviting international organizations and actors to support Afrin today.

We appeal to the silence of the international society against the invasion of Afrin by Turkish forces and we expect the international society to put pressure on Turkey to stop its aggression against Afrin region and to stop the violation of the Syrian sovereignty.

02.02.2018

Heyva Sor a Kurd

To provide support, the contact information is below;

Heyva Sor a Kurd – Afrin

Dr. Nurî Khanber  Afrin Branch health manager and C0-Chair of KRC +963 944 399 690 drnuriqenber@gmail.com

heyvasorAfrin@gmail.com

Heyva Sor a Kurd – NES and Rojava

Dr. Shervan Bery Health Manager and Co-chair of KRC.

+963 991 086 144       Sherawan.bery@hskurd.org