Reportage
Syria: displaced victims of Turkish strikes
Audio 03:23
Refugee children in a school near Abu Rasayn, in January 2023. © Murielle Paradon/RFI
Text by: Murielle Paradon Follow |
Julien Boileau
4 mins
Turkey launched strikes on northern Syria at the end of November.
Although they have decreased in intensity compared to last month, civilians are still suffering the consequences.
With the destruction, some had to flee and find makeshift shelters in the middle of winter.
Report from a school near Abu Rasayn.
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of our special envoys, with the participation of
Jiwan Mirzo
The school is located in the countryside, a few kilometers from the Turkish border.
The building is disused and in poor condition.
It now serves as a refuge for families who fled the destruction in their town of Abu Rasayn, located right on the front line.
A keffiyeh on his head, Mudjbel Hamid lives with his wife and six young children in one of the classrooms.
"
My house was destroyed by bombs, now we live in this school,
" he said.
We can't afford to go to a big city to rent a house, that's why we're here.
»
►Also read:
In northeastern Syria, the Kurds are worried about the consequences of the Turkish attacks
The conditions are Spartan: a few mattresses and a few pots, in this room with half-broken windows.
It is cold and Daha, Moudjbel's wife, crowds around the stove with the children.
"
Each family lives in a room, there is the kitchen and the beds in it,
" she explains.
It's so cold that we always have the stove on.
We have 150 liters of fuel oil for the whole winter and it will certainly not be enough.
»
Moudjbel Hamid's family took refuge in a school.
© Murielle Paradon/RFI
In the classroom next door, Nada, wrapped in a long veil, has settled in with her five children.
Apart from a few donations from neighbors in the village, there is no humanitarian aid, she complains.
“
The situation is very tough, no one is helping us, it's so dangerous that no NGO wants to come,
” assures the young woman.
We would like to be taken somewhere else.
But we have no support.
»
►Also read:
For Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian-Turkish meetings must "end the Turkish occupation"
Civilians, the first victims of the conflict
Her neighbor Houda worries above all for her children.
They are traumatized by the bombardments, she says.
She too is from Abu Rasayn.
Her house was destroyed and she came to take refuge here.
“
Of course, it was horrible at first.
The children were scared, they didn't sleep at all.
We told them: "It's good here, you can sleep", but as we ourselves were worried and didn't sleep, they couldn't.
But the bombardments also approached the school where they are taking refuge.
“
When that happens, we put the mattresses under the stairs and the children on them.
»
Ahmed, he goes from refuge to refuge according to the Syrian conflict.
He left
Rais al Ain
when this city was occupied by the Turks after the 2019 operation. So he went to Abu Rasayn but he was again caught up in the war.
This future father says he is exhausted by the situation.
"
It's really an international problem, I don't want to talk about politics, but there are a lot of forces involved: the Turks, the Russians, the Americans, the Syrians, all these parties are involved and oppose each other others,
he says.
Nobody has the same ideas, so what is the solution?
We are refugees, civilians are victims of this war.
»
There is a lot of destruction in the city of Abu Rasayn, here in January 2023. © Murielle Paradon/RFI
►Also read:
Abu Rasayn, ghost town in northeastern Syria after the Turkish bombardments
The military are on several fronts.
This is explained by Syamand Ali, who receives us, dressed in his trellis, in his office in Hassake.
He is the spokesperson for the Kurdish forces, the YPG: “
Our positions have been targeted by the Turks, the security forces guarding the jihadist prisons and the
Al-Hol camp.
Eight members of the security forces were killed.
We must therefore choose between protecting the detention centers of members of the Islamic State and going to the front against the Turks!
It's very complicated.
»
Kurdish forces controlling northeast Syria are caught in the crossfire.
They ask for more support from the international community.
Syamand Ali, spokesperson for the YPG.
© Murielle Paradon/RFI
►Also read:
Syria: fuel shortages hit the population hard
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