IDPs’ crisis in Raqqa deepens as NGOs absent
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, an official in Tel al-Samen IDP camp in north of Raqqa, northern Syria, said IDPs in the camp suffer from unbearable humanitarian conditions as humanitarian organizations are completely absent.
Tel al-Samen camp, 35 km north of Raqqa, was established by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to accommodate IDPs from Tel Abyad and Ain Issa towns after the military operation carried out by Turkish forces and the affiliated armed opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA).
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.
Muhammad al-Ali, co-chair of Tel al-Samen camp said the Turkish invasion and continued shelling on the villages located on the frontlines with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) deepened the crisis of the IDPs with no action taken by the humanitarian organizations.
Al-Ali added that there are nearly 1.646 families in the camp, 102 hosted ones and 525 families wait to be admitted to the camp “scattered in the countryside of Raqqa.”
Al-Ali called for a safe return of IDPs to their areas and to put an end to deportation and displacement.
According to al-Ali, the IDPs suffer from difficult living conditions, lack of daily basic needs as they cannot return home due to repressive acts in “Peace Spring,” area.
Al-Ali called on human rights and legal organizations to consider IDPs status, work to return them home and calling on Turkey to leave Syrians alone and exit from Syrian territories.