Displaced Kurds fear return to Aleppo homes amid reports of abuses
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A senior official in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said on Thursday that thousands of displaced Kurdish residents from Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods remain reluctant to return to their homes due to what he described as ongoing security violations and the absence of independent monitoring in the area.
Sheikhmous Ahmed, co-chair of the AANES Office for IDPs and Refugees, told North Press that families who fled the two neighborhoods have shared direct testimonies of serious abuses.
“There are direct testimonies from families who were displaced from the two neighborhoods speaking about grave violations, including field executions, throwing bodies from balconies and rooftops, in addition to burning the bodies of civilians,” Ahmed said.
He added that the current conditions do not allow for a safe return of displaced residents, citing restrictions on media coverage and access for independent observers.
“The current situation does not allow the displaced to return in light of the media blackout and the prevention of human rights committees and neutral journalists from entering the area, which hinders documenting the violations committed against civilians,” he said.
According to Ahmed, the security situation continues to deteriorate for civilians who remain or attempt to return.
“Displaced families are unable to go back to their homes because of ongoing violations, including assassinations and field executions against civilians,” he said.
The AANES official stated that around 3,000 civilians have been displaced from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh toward areas east of the Euphrates, where local authorities and humanitarian organizations, in coordination with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have been facilitating temporary shelter and basic services.The AANES official stated that around 3,000 civilians have been displaced from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh toward areas east of the Euphrates, where local authorities and humanitarian organizations, in coordination with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have been facilitating temporary shelter and basic services.
Ahmed called on international organizations to intervene urgently. “We call on the International Committee of the Red Cross and international human rights organizations to intervene immediately to stop the violations and allow civilians to return safely,” he said.