“We are struggling to accommodate them,” Sheikhmous Ahmed, head of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) office for internally displaced persons and refugees, told Rudaw English.
“We do not have a clear number of people arriving here [Tabqa]. So far, around 30,000 families have arrived from Shahba,” he said, adding that they count for around 100,000 people.
Turkey-backed opposition militants launched an offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northwestern region of Shahba which includes Tal Rifaat. Both sides reached an unannounced deal to allow the safe movement of people to other Kurdish-held areas.
Most of these people hail from the Kurdish city of Afrin which was controlled by the same militia groups and Ankara in 2018.
Tal Rifaat was often targeted by Turkey which was seeking the control of the strategic town from the Kurdish forces for years on the grounds that the forces are affiliated with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - which has been in a war with Ankara for decades.
Ahmed said around 6,000 of other families are expected to arrive soon, noting that they have made preparations to receive them and move them to schools and other places.
“But this is not enough and we cannot cope with it,” he said.
Ibrahim Shekho, who had been reporting human rights violations of opposition militants in the area since being displaced from Afrin in 2018, was also displaced to Tabqa.
Speaking to Rudaw from the town, he said their convoy left Shahba Monday midday and arrived in Tabqa at midnight.
“On our way, we saw 60-70 [makeshift] checkpoints of the HTS who were chanting Islamic slogans. They had long hair. They insulted our terrified people who were fleeing war in the cold weather,” he said, adding that many people who did not follow the convoy lost their way.
He elaborated that the 100,000 displaced people are being moved to schools and mosques.
Call for aid
Shekho said the condition of the makeshift camps and other facilities is poor and urgent humanitarian aid is needed.
“All IDPs, especially women and children, need urgent aid from the international organisations,” he said.
Rojava has mostly relied on the regime-held areas and the Kurdistan Region for imports but Ahmed said all borders have been closed.
He called on the United Nations to reopen a strategic Til Kochar (al-Yarubiyah) border crossing with Iraq.
Al-Yarubiyah was closed down in January 2020 which prevented the UN from delivering aid across the border.
“Urgent aid should arrive here. Til Kochar [al-Yarubiya] border crossing should be reopened. All border crossings have been shut. We do not have crossings with Damascus and Aleppo either. We have been completely disconnected. We call for the reopening of the Til Kochar border crossing and the flow of humanitarian aid. The autonomous administration cannot cope with this. This is a humanitarian tragedy,” he said.
He added UN agencies and local organisations have come to their aid but it is not needed.
Rojava’s ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) on Tuesday slammed the international community for their “silence” in the face of the attacks against Kurds in Syria.
