Government’s siege of areas in Syria’s Aleppo aggravates residents’ misery
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Since the beginning of November, Syrian government forces have imposed a siege on many villages and towns in the northern countryside of Aleppo, exacerbating the suffering of more than 200.000 original inhabitants and displaced people.
The siege deprived the residents of fuel amid a harsh winter.
In the last three days, the region have been completely depleted of fuel, which forced the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to shut down power generators, which in turn caused the closure of public service and education institutions in the region.
The northern countryside of Aleppo governorate, also known as Shahba region, houses IDPs of the Kurdish city of Afrin which was occupied in 2018 by Turkey following a military operation called “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s national security. The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region since then.
Subhi al-Ahmad, the Co-chair of the AANES’ Education Board in Shahba region said, “We were forced, due to the siege imposed by the [government’s] Fourth Armored Division, to close all schools for a week, until the fuel problem is solved.”
He added to North Press that the Autonomous Administration was unable to provide heating oil for a large number of displaced people in villages and towns in the region due to the siege.
The co-chair of the Education Board indicated that the blockade prevent medicines from entering the region.
The siege imposed on the AANES-held areas in Shahba region coincides with another one placed on the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo.
In mid-March, the Fourth Armored Division imposed a similar siege on the two neighborhoods, which lasted about 46 days. The siege was met a month later by a similar one imposed by the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) on the government-held areas in the cities of Qamishli and Hasakah.
In a statement to North Press, Muhammad Hanan, an executives in the Tel Rifaat Council, said, “The blockade went beyond preventing the entry of food, medicine and fuel, but rather reached the extent of impounding cars.”
In addition, areas in Shahba region are witnessing almost daily shelling by the Turkish forces, which exacerbates the residents’ plight.