By Samer Yassin
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Muhammad al-Hamad, 50, a displaced person who is living in the town of Tel Tamr in the north of Hasakah, northeast Syria, is afraid of a new Turkish invasion of the region, as their situation will be extremely tragic because people cannot stand it any.
Al-Hamad left his village of Qabr Kabir in the northern countryside of Tel Tamr due to the continuous Turkish shelling and resided in the village of Tel Nasri, south of Tel Tamr. However, frequent Turkish shelling makes him to live in constant fear.
“But assuming it happens [Turkish shelling], our situation will deteriorate more and more because the area can no longer tolerate a new displacement,” he told North Press.
Tel Tamr is inhabited by Assyrians, Arabs, and Kurds. Following the Turkish invasion of the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in the north of Hasakah, more than 10,000 IDPs fled and took shelter in it, mainly in the southern villages adjacent to the Khabur River.
Both residents and IDPs of the town fear a new wave of displacement in case Turkey invades the area, especially following airstrikes conducted by Turkey late in December 2023.
There is no place or shelter
“When we hear the sounds of bombing and planes, we flee our homes in fear of becoming targets, enduring long hours in the biting cold, waiting for the situation to stabilize so that we can safely return,” said al-Hamad.
“In the event of another displacement in the area, where will we go? There is no place or shelter for us,” added al-Hamad, who lives with his wife and their only daughter.
Amira Najris, a resident of the village of Tel Nasri in the countryside of Tel Tamr, trembles at the mere thought of another displacement, having already fled her village of Bir Nuh.
“With every bombardment in the area, fear of displacement arises, as there is no place to shelter us because all areas are filled with displaced people,” Najris told North Press.
“Turkey targets every place in northeastern Syria, not just here. Therefore, all places have become dangerous for us, and there is no safe place that we can go to. So there is no way to know where we would end up.”
New source of fear
Muhammad al-Ali, 70, a resident of Tel Tamr, recalls the fear his daughter experienced during a previous Turkish bombardment on the town. “During one of the attacks on our area, my daughter hugged me in fear until the sounds of bombing stopped and the situation returned to normal. Such acts psychologically impact children,” al-Ali said.
With each round of bombardment in the area, Ali finds solace only in prayer, hoping that the situation does not deteriorate further and that he and his family will not be compelled to abandon their home.
Khidr Darwish, a 75-year-old resident of Tel Tamr, lives in constant fear of artillery and drone strikes.
“We hope that the situation does not deteriorate or escalate any further. It is crucial to find a solution for what is happening in the region. Further escalation and the displacement of people from their homes will only exacerbate the situation, leading to a catastrophe,” Darwish noted.