Tragic situation of a paralyzed woman in IDP camp in NE Syria
DERIK, Syria (North Press) – Aysha Jassem Dakhil, an IDP woman from Tel Tamr area, north of Hasakah, is wrapped in an old blanket in a tent that lacks basic services for living in a camp in northeast Syria.
Not remembering her real age, Aysha’s relatives thinks she is about to be 50.
Aysha’s family fled the Turkish bombardment against their hometown not knowing where to go. Sheltering in the squatter camp of Newroz in Derik was their last resort.
Turkish forces and their affiliated Syrian armed opposition factions have stationed near Tel Tamr area since 2019 following the invasion of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad areas in north Syria.
The IDPs in Newroz camp live in dire humanitarian conditions as relief assistance delivered by organizations are insufficient and the IDPs are unable to afford their daily needs.
Closure of al-Yaroubiyah (Tel Kocher) crossing point, on the Syrian-Iraqi border, by a UN decision, has doubled the agony of the IDPs and the low income residents of northeast Syria’s region.
Displacement added to illness
For over 20 years, Aysha suffers paralysis caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Whenever she wants to get out of bed, she uses a wheelchair.
She spends most of her time in her tent wearing secondhand clothes given to her by other families in the camp.
“My situation used to be better in my hometown, but the Turkish shelling increased in the last few months compelling me to displace,” Aysha said.
“Other families used to fled their houses during the shelling and came back when it calms, but I was unable to move at all.”
Aysha and her relatives fled the shelling in August 2020.
Due to the frequent bombardment by Turkey and the affiliated factions on the villages of Dardarah, Tawila and Gozaliyah, many families who have sick members or no breadwinners resort to Newroz camp.
Because Aysha was unable to walk, her relatives and neighbors carried her until they get a car to take them to the camp.
Frequent shelling
However, Aysha’s suffering does not end by arrival to the camp, she has no breadwinner plus organization operating in the camp offer poor aids.
Besides food, winter clothes and medicines, Aysha needs physiotherapy.
She lives with her mother and her niece and now gives a hand since she is on a visit.
Infrastructure in Tel Tamr and Zargan towns were damaged by the Turkish bombardment and the municipality is unable to do maintenance work.
In an annual meeting, Ahmad Haydar, co-chair of the People’s Municipality of Tel Tamr said service projects were planned to be implemented this year but nothing much was done because of the Turkish threats and the insufficient budget allocated for the area.
Aysha has no hope to go back to her hometown since the Turkish shelling destroyed their house.
Haven for hope as temperature drops
Aysha passes her days listening to conversations outside her tent, which she cannot participate in. Only few neighbors in the next tents came to amuse her but now they stopped visiting as Aysha’s tent is cold.
885 families, including 4,553 individuals live in Newroz Camp. 240 people suffer chronic illnesses and 255 are disabled.
One medical point run by the Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) functions in the camp and provides healthcare to the IDPs but KRC complains international organizations’ support is poor.
Aysha’s tent has got no winter heater, fuel or a carpet to cover the dusty floor.
Aysha’s niece sits next to her aunt hoping that situations in the camp improve or their houses reconstructed so that they return to their hometown.