Syria’s Kobani registers 124 Sere Kaniye families seeking return home
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – A Kurdish official in Kobani, northern Syria, said on Thursday that they have registered 124 displaced families from Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and its countryside who wish to return to their areas of origin.
Ahmad Khoja, head of the AANES’ Social Affairs Board in Kobani, told North Press that the registration began more than two weeks ago and remains ongoing.
The registration is part of the Jan. 29 agreement, which includes provisions for the return of displaced people to their homes and cities, Khoja added.
“Coordination is underway with the Sere Kaniye Displaced Persons Committee in Hasakah Governorate to facilitate the return of displaced people to their cities and villages,” he said.
The board is collecting information on displaced families, including their former neighborhoods, personal details and the damage sustained by their homes and property, according to Khoja.
The data will be used to facilitate their return after coordination with the Sere Kaniye Displaced Persons Committee and in accordance with a mechanism to be determined by the committee, he added.
Khoja indicated that families can register using a family booklet, personal identification document or any other document or record confirming their original place of residence.
Thousands of residents of Sere Kaniye and its surrounding areas were displaced after Turkey and Turkish-backed factions took control of the northeastern Syrian city in October 2019 following a Turkish military operation.
The registration comes amid ongoing efforts to facilitate the return of displaced Syrians to areas they left during the country’s conflict, with security, housing, infrastructure and property concerns remaining key challenges.