HTS evacuates shelters for quake-affected Syrians amid freezing weather
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) evacuated on Saturday a shelter for earthquake victims, including families from Daraa, in the vicinity of the city of Idlib, northwestern Syria, despite windstorms and frost that hit the region.
A source from the security forces affiliated with the HTS said that the HTS “Development Office” summoned four patrols since this morning to the vicinity of Idlib from the southwestern side in order to control the evacuation of the Daraawiyyah camp, which includes about 55 families, most of whom are children and women.
The source added that the residents were informed on Friday to evacuate the camp, without giving them an alternative or a clear destination, and without taking into account their inability to rent houses or secure tents, not to mention the severe cold wave northern Syria have been witnessing for weeks.
However, HTS has not justified the evacuation so far, knowing that the tents were distributed by local organizations for quake-affected people, and then HTS seized them through its so-called Development Office, the source added.
Late in February, HTS expelled 70 families from shelters in Idlib to house the families of its militants.
On Feb. 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and Syria, killing hundreds in both countries and causing wide destruction and displacement of thousands of people.
In mid-February, HTS seized seven shelters in the city of Idlib for those affected by the earthquake in Idlib despite the fact that they were established by local organizations and volunteer teams.