Syria’s Sere Kaniye IDP narrates relatives’ wills died away from home
Hussein Sino at a cemetery houses his relatives close to Sere Kaniye IDP camp – North Press
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – At Tel Mit’ib cemetery in the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria, Hussein Sino points out to a number of closely linked graves, “These are my cousins and relatives, they lost their lives despondently after they were forced to leave Sere Kaniye.”
The man sits close to a grave stone recalling silently memories from the past. He remains attached despite noise of cars and movements of people on the highway close to the cemetery.
Sino, as tens of thousands of people of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) was forced to leave his city after an offensive launched by Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA), in 2019.
On October 9, 2019, the Turkish forces and their affiliated SNA factions launched a military operation against the city of Tel Abyad in the north of Raqqa and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in the north of Hasakah.
The operation, named “Peace Spring”, led to the occupation of the two cities and their countryside in addition to the displacement of more than 300.000 of the original inhabitants.
Today, Sino lives with his family in Sere Kaniye IDP camp in Tala’eh neighborhood, east of Hasakah. The tent has become their safe heaven after they left their city three years ago.
Under the tent he shares with his family, Sino goes back in history three years ago, when his city was invaded, narrating the details of what happened on those days, as if it was the “Resurrection Day.”
It was four o’clock in the afternoon when Turkish warplanes carried out their first raids followed by explosions in the whole city and countryside leading to a widespread displacement.
Sino recalls such scenes as if they happened a while ago, “People of Sere Kaniye left empty-handed. A large number of people left on feet.”
Gone with the wind
The horrific scenes Sino witnessed on his way leaving the city made him, among thousands others, to spend the night in the open air close to the town of Tel Tamr in the north of Hasakah city, hoping to return when peace would return to the city.
The second day of the attack did not bring any good news for the people of Sere Kaniye. Reports said the Turkish forces and opposition factions were approaching the city.
This made the people to precede to the city of Hasakah a more secure position after shelling and clashes neared Tel Tamr town.
As people of Sere Kaniye arrived in groups in the city of Hasakah, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) accommodated a large number of those in schools as a temporary procedure.
In schools that lack all basic needs of a living Sino shared a class with two families. That has been one of the most difficult moments of his life.
The 55-year-old man recalls the incident saying, “We slept on the ground without any cover. We made our shoes pillows to sleep.”
He sighs, as he recalls such grave moments, “It was a grave suffering to the elderly and children. Many had heart attacks due to despondence after their belongings went with the wind in a moment.”
After a while of accommodation in schools, the AANES intended to transfer them to camps created hurriedly as the academic new year was approaching. Sino’s family was not an exception to the bid.
There are two camps in Hasakah; Washokani and Sere Kaniye that house nearly 30.000 IDPs mostly women, children and elderly all from Sere Kaniye.
Tens of schools in Hasakah still house IDPs as camps cannot accommodate such mass additional numbers.
Remains transfer
Though his tent lacks most basic needs of life amid difficulties and failure to keep it clean due to dust that covers such a desert-like area, Sino finds this situation a better option to return home without any guarantees.
“Those lagged behind in Sere Kaniye, opposition factions punished them under the pretext of dealing with Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], “Sino said.
After three years of the Turkish assault on both Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad, still IDPs suffer from dire conditions in the camps.
However, sweet memories of the past – prior to the Turkish attacks – became heavy burdens for a number of people causing chronic diseases and psychological disorders that eventually claimed lives of many people including young ones.
Sino said that 15 members of his family (cousins and relatives) lost their lives. Some were under 40. They died of heart attacks as a result of despondence after leaving their city.
“They were forced to leave a high life and put into a poorly led one overnight,” he noted.
Those died wrote wills wishing that their remains be transferred to their city if they could return home one day.
Sino added: “The dead wrote wills before they pass away saying how long we remain here, their remains must be transferred to cemeteries that house their forefathers’ in their city. Based on this, we put their bodies in coffins enshrined with tensile fabric to avert moisture, in case one day we return home.”
Amid this affair, there remains a ray of hope for IDPs to return home in near future.
Sino calls on the United Nations and the world at large to allow them a “safe return” as if indicating that life under such a small tent can no longer be endured.