MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – Al-Musa is apprehensive about the idea of being displaced again, which has come to his mind frequently after the latest Turkish escalation in the region and after experiencing extreme hardships in his displacement journey from his hometown of Deir Hafir.
Khalaf al-Musa, 49, an IDP in the Old Eastern Manbij camp, fears to be displaced again from Manbij, northern Syria, in case Turkey attacks the city.
Recently, Turkey has intensified artillery and drone attacks against regions of northeast Syria and villages on contact lines in Manbij. The attacks killed and injured dozens of civilians and military personnel.
Stable displacement
Al-Musa said he dreads going through another experience of displacement and suffering. He is tired of repeatedly moving ever since he left Deir Hafir. He finally felt a sense of relief when he settled in a camp in Manbij.
He fled to seven regions after leaving his house and does not want to move again from Manbij camp. He has accepted his fate of being an IDP away from home.
Since 2017, the majority of the people of Maskana and Deir Hafir, areas in the eastern and southeastern countryside of Aleppo, fled when Syrian government forces regained control of the region after defeating the Islamic State (ISIS).
On March 15, 2018, the New Eastern Manbij camp was established in the village of Rasm al-Akhdar, 10 km southeast of Manbij.
Prompted by his fears, al-Musa calls on the international community to stop the attacks and war against Manbij, and to help and support IDPs in the camps.
Repeated displacement
Jasem al-Hassan, 68, an IDP from Deir Hafir who stays in the New Eastern Manbij camp, worries about new waves of displacement driven by Turkish attacks against the region, having previously experienced its hardships and bitterness.
Al-Hassan said when they relocated in previous times, they tolerated starvation, thirst, and extreme heat inside the tents. He was displaced about four times and described it as “a nightmare.”
He told North Press that if war happens in Manbij, “there is no place to go to. Where are we going to go?”
Manbij IDPs fear being displaced again and live under the rule of Turkish-backed opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), following Turkish threats to launch a military operation against northern Syria.
Amina al-Sharif, 60, an IDP from Deir Hafir residing in the Old Eastern Manbij camp, has the same fears “that might happen at any moment.”
She fled airstrikes that hit Dier Hafir and came to stay in the region of Dibsi Afnan for two months. They moved again to al-Hawija in Maskana, then later went to the al-Salhabiyat in Raqqa, and ultimately ended up in the Old Eastern Manbij camp.
Al-Sharif feels relieved to be in the camp and not having to move again. Nonetheless they suffer from difficult living conditions due to lack of support from organizations.
The New Eastern camp holds 625 families (3,395 individuals) from Maskana and Deir Hafir, whereas the Old Eastern camp holds 387 families (1,795 individuals).
Makeshift camps hold 1.954 families (9.786 individuals) from the same areas, according to the Administration of the Camps in the Civil Administration of Manbij.
No place to go
Al-Sharif thinks that in case war happens in Manbij, they would be in “an extremely difficult” situation, especially since they do not own a car to escape. She said, “Where can we go? Everyone wants to flee for their life.”
She hopes no war or displacement occurs so the country remains united and stable.
Kheria al-Ali, 55, an IDP from Maskana staying in the New Eastern Manbij camp, feels a sense of relief to be in the camp where there is no war or displacement like before.
She told North Press that they fear Turkey will carry out its threats of launching a military operation against the region after the recent escalation as it would force them to move again.
Al-Ali has relocated four times after leaving her home. First, she moved from al-Tuaym in Maskana to Yaarb, next to Ain Issa, then to the town of al- Jarniyah, and later they settled in the New Eastern Manbij camp.
She dreads war and bombardments as it would force her to face an unknown future.
Growing fears
Al-Mustafa worries about a possible Turkish invasion of Manbij that would cause new waves of displacement. He does not know where they end up because he no longer has the ability and strength to endure displacement and its hardships.
Hussein al-Mustafa, 56, who stays in the New Eastern Manbij camp, said he had relocated three times from Deir Hafir since 2015. He moved to the desert, then to the town of al-Mansoura in Raqqa, and later ended up in the Old Eastern Manbij camp.
He feels safe and stable being in a camp in the city of Manbij. He does not want war, shelling, and displacement to happen because “people do not have a place to go to. They are helpless,” he said.
Khaled al-Abd, 26, an IDP from the city of Maskana who stays in the New Eastern Manbij camp, has the same fears of a Turkish escalation and instability in Manbij that would lead to new displacement amid a scarcity of safe areas to turn to.
He describes successive displacement from one place to another as a “major problem.” He had been displaced many times, and to many areas until he settled in the New Eastern Manbij camp. He hopes that the stability they enjoy in the camp will remain.
Al-Omar, 43, an IDP from Deir Hafir living in the Old Eastern Manbij camp, fears moving to another place again. Her fears stem from previous displacement experiences she went through, especially since most IDPs are already plagued with economic challenges.
She was displaced from Deir Hafir to many places with her family until they finally settled in the Old Eastern Manbij camp.
Fears of new displacements come amid “tragic” conditions in the camps, exacerbated by the withdrawal of humanitarian organizations from the region and as a result of the failure of humanitarian organizations and the United Nations to provide humanitarian and relief assistance.