Thousands of IDPs in northern Aleppo face dire conditions
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Head of a local NGO warned on Saturday that thousands of IDPs in the northern countryside of Aleppo, northwestern Syria, live in dire conditions.
Ibrahim Sheikho, director of the Human Rights Organization in Afrin who are now in Tabqa city, raised alarm over the catastrophic living conditions faced by thousands of displaced people stranded in the northern Aleppo countryside.
Sheikho told North Press that during the initial hours of this displacement, Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), committed atrocities against civilians.
“In Tel Rifaat, SNA factions brutally killed Amina Hannan, a woman with special needs,” he added. “The militants also slaughtered civilians in Kafr Naya and Tel Rifaat.”
“In Tel Qarah, members of the al-Salibi and al-Khater families both Arab communities native to the region, were also killed by Hamza Division and al-Amshat fighters.”
Sheikho stated that more than 15 killings were documented, while over 100 civilians went missing en route.
“Their whereabouts are unknown—whether they were taken to Afrin, hidden, or diverted to Raqqa,” he said.
He noted that the humanitarian situation remains dire. Over 100,000 displaced Afrin residents, along with the original inhabitants of Shahba, are living in extreme hardship in overcrowded camps.
Sheikho highlighted severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, medicine, milk, and tents.
He called on the international community to act urgently, fulfilling its moral and humanitarian responsibilities, and emphasized the displaced population’s right to return to their homes.
Meanwhile, Mazlum Abdi, Commander in Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that with support from the U.S.-led Global Coalition, efforts are underway to evacuate displaced individuals from the northern Aleppo countryside and assist those still trapped.