HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – 71-year-oldAbulsalam Ahmed, a resident of Sere Kaniye Camp located in the eastern part of al-Tala’i neighborhood in northeast Syria’s Hasakah, wonders how he will get by amid high prices and the interruptionof relief aid.
Ahmed says he is struggling following increases in the cost of living and cessation of food aid, and other IDPs in the camp say that the food baskets they normally receive monthly have not arrived for a month and a half.
Living expenses
“The living conditions have become difficult, especially the last two months, as one kilogram of tomato is sold for more than 1,000 SYP,” Ahmed told North Press.
58-year-old Salma Mohammed, another IDP residing in the camp, said that she gets by eating only bulgur when the bread is running low.
She also complained about the shortage of water and the delay of maintenance work for basic services.
On September 8, 2020, Sere Kaniye Camp, which was established at the beginning of 2020, received IDPs from Sere Kaniye and its countryside who were previously residing in the schools of the city of Hasakah.
The camp includes 2,640 tents; in which 2,200 families, including 11,642 people reside, according to the camp administration.
Washokani Camp, which was established following the Turkish invasion of Syria in 2019, includes about 13,000 IDPs from Sere Kaniye and its countryside.
The Turkish attacks on the regions of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad, accompanied by the Turkish-backed armed Syrian factions, caused the displacement of about 300,000 civilians, according to the statistics of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Mohammed said that the food basket previously provided to them was “acceptable,” and contained oil, bulgur, rice and lentils. However, the interruption of this basket caused a problem for those without any source of income.
“We do not know if they will bring aid or not,” she wondered. “The situation is difficult.”
No job opportunities
IDP Mohammed al-Jassim said that the lack of job opportunities exacerbates the conditions of those who have no income.
He added that he previously worked his own land in territories now occupied by Turkey, and that he lost everything he owned during the invasion.
“Those who work have not been affected by the delay of aid, but not everyone in the camp works,” he added.
The AANES has provided the camp with services, such as extending drinking water networks, sanitation, electricity, and others, according to the camp administration.
The AANES said that it has established camps for the IDPs of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad despite the continued closure of the Yaroubiyah humanitarian crossing due to the Russian veto and the Damascus government’s control of UN aid.
On August 19, the AANES said that the United Nations agencies, through their official offices in Damascus and Qamishli, are following the policy and whims of the Syrian government by selecting projects and imposing conditions for partnership with local bodies linked to the Syrian security services.
Sere Kaniye Camp co-chair Yilmaz Ibrahim said that the AANES provided the IDPs with necessities according to the available capabilities.
“A number of organizations provided certain services, but all of this did not meet the needs of the IDPs, who need more support,” he added.
Ibrahim calls on international and humanitarian organizations to extend a helping hand as quickly as possible.