By Dilsoz Youssef/ Samer Yassin
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Forty-year-old woman Nashmia al-Dehiman sits next to her sick mother in their house in the Jamaya neighborhood in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, after she lost her job due to Turkish drone strikes against her workplace.
Al-Dehiman sustained injuries to her abdomen and head caused by shrapnel from the strikes, while three other female workers also suffered injuries. Tragically, Aya al-Sabaawi, another female worker, lost her life.
Al-Dehiman recalled the moments when they were attacked. “We were on our lunch break, and when we returned to work, we were hit by the airstrikes,” al-Dehiman told North Press. That caused her and her younger brother to lose the only source of income for their family of 11 members.
She added with a sad tone, “I used to contribute to my family’s financial needs. My mother is battling a heart disease, and my sister is also ill. At present, we are struggling to make ends meet.”
Why are we targeted by Turkey?
On Dec. 25, 2023, Turkish forces launched a series of drone and warplane attacks, as well as artillery shelling, causing a significant damage to vital infrastructure facilities, and small-scale projects, impacting the economy of the region.
Over three days of Turkish airstrikes, 11 people were killed, including two women, and 30 others were injured, according to the Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press.
Due to the airstrikes, the facility that provided a means of livelihood for al-Dehiman and her fellow workers has suspended operation. As a result, the 40-year-old woman found herself facing an uncertain future, feeling bewildered and unsure of what lies ahead.
“The place where we used to work is not a military post, and it is a warehouse for cotton ginning. So why does Turkey target us?” she wondered.
Amid dire living conditions and the collapse of the Syrian pound against foreign currencies, private facilities in Qamishli provide job opportunities for dozens of families with limited income.
Although precise statistics on the extent of material losses caused by the recent Turkish attacks in northeastern Syria are lacking, officials estimate them to be in the millions of dollars.
Just a few hundred meters away from Nashmia al-Dehiman’s residence, Suraya al-Jassem, her coworker, continues to live in fear following that day.
“Before the incident, everything was normal. We were chatting, and suddenly, we heard a strike. When we opened our eyes, all we saw was dust. We rushed out of the warehouse and started screaming,” al-Jassem recounted to North Press.
“The number of female workers in the warehouse was five. After the strike, locals from the street rushed to help us, but one of the workers was missing. We called for her, but she did not answer. A young man went to look for her and found her lifeless due to an injury to her neck.”
Al-Jassem sustained injuries to her legs from shrapnel fragments. Two fragments have been removed by doctors, but three still remain inside her legs, which may necessitate surgery, she said, citing her doctors.
Like her fellow workers, al-Jassem was the sole breadwinner for her elderly parents amid dire living conditions.
“I am the only one providing for my family. We have no one else to rely on. I used to work to bring basic needs, but currently there is no one to support my parents because I cannot work due to my injury,” she said.
“Currently, I cannot go to work because of my injury, and I am still fearful. Sometimes, while sitting at home, I feel like the ceiling is going to collapse on me. I survived that time, but I may not be lucky again,” she added.
Working in fear
During the recent attacks, Turkey targeted 121 sites with a total of 179 strikes in various areas in northeastern Syria. Most of these strikes focused on residential areas, industrial facilities, and civilian businesses.
In the northern part of the city of Qamishli, just a few meters away from the Turkish border, 35-year-old Hamoud al-Nazal works with a group of workers in a warehouse for soft drinks. Turkish drone strikes hit the warehouse, resulting in a substantial material damage.
Al-Nazal does not hide his fears of renewed bombardment, but he is forced to work to provide for his family of nine.
He narrates to North Press, “I was in the facility about half an hour before the strike. The next day, we opened the warehouse and it was severely damaged.”
Al-Nazal said that the warehouse a source of income for about 50 families, “but the Turkish strikes paralyzed the business.”
He added that in case of further attacks, the business may close down, and “I won’t be able to provide for my family.”
A week has passed since the relative calm following the recent bombardment, but fear continues to haunt the workers. Al-Nazal emphasized that whenever they hear loud noises, everyone experiences panic. “However, if we don’t work, we cannot survive.”