Camps in NE Syria cannot receive more IDPs
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – An official in Tel al-Samen Camp north of Raqqa, a city northern Syria, said on Thursday that the camp cannot receive more IDPs.
This came in light of the successive Turkish statements to launch a potential military operation against northern Syria in addition to the already existing frontlines in the region that have been witnessing intensive escalation by Turkey and their affiliated Syrian opposition factions.
Tel al-Samen Camp, 35 kilometers north of Raqqa, was established to shelter IDPs from Tel Abyad and its countryside who fled their areas during the Turkish military operation Peace Spring in 2019.
At the time, Turkish forces, with the support of the Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition factions launched the operation against Tel Abyad and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), displacing hundreds of thousands of inhabitants.
The camp now is a house for about 1.246 families, numbering 6.448 individuals, most of them are women, children and old people.
Muhammad Sheikh Ali, co-chair of the Tel al-Samen Camp, said, “As a result of the existing frontlines in both the eastern and western countryside of Ain Issa, we witness daily displacement.”
The camp lacks the least supplies the IDPs need in addition to the need to expand its space in order to be able to receive a new potential wave of displacement.
“We cannot receive the families that are displaced on a daily basis due to the Turkish government’s threats to invade our areas,” Sheikh Ali stressed.
The recent successive Turkish threats to launch a military operation in northern Syria increase fears of residents of new displacement.
As a result, officials in the region voice concern over their disability to meet the IDPs needs.
On May 23, Erdogan announced taking steps to complete the so-called remained portions of the “safe zone” plan along Turkey’s southern border saying, “We will soon take new steps regarding the incomplete portions of the project we started on the 30 km deep safe zone we established along our southern border.”
The Turkish “safe zone” is an area of 30-35 km (19-22 miles) deep into Syrian territory that Turkey started establishing in 2019 to house Syrian refugees in an area along its border with Syria, as well as to keep it free from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which it regards as terrorists.
On May 25, Turkey’s National Security Council said that Turkey’s “existing and future military operations along its southern borders were necessary for the country’s security.” In the meeting, Erdogan delivered a speech to the MPs of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and said, “Turkish military would continue to rid its neighbor of terrorists” refers to the SDF.
On June 1, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his threats of launching a military operation on northern Syria, and specified his targets in the two Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat, which include many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“The civil administration of this camp voices concern that in case our areas are attacked, including Ain Issa and Kobani, people of these areas will resort to this camp,” he noted.