Posted on 03/25/2018 3:07:23 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
Humanitarian agencies are struggling to meet the health and aid needs of the civilian population of Afrin as the number of people recently displaced due to Turkey’s offensive climbs to an estimated 167,000. Concerns have also been raised for the security of the thousands who remain in the canton.
“Children, women, and men have undertaken harrowing journeys to flee Afrin and need urgent health assistance. Our staff have met civilians who reported walking for 36 hours to reach safer areas,” said Elizabeth Hoff, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Syria.
People arriving at shelters have described “running in the face of shelling, sleeping in the open, being separated from their families,” according to Marixie Mercado, a spokesperson for the UN children’s agency, AFP reported.
An estimated 167,000 people have been displaced due to hostilities in Afrin and between 50,000 and 70,000 civilians have remained in the city, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN’s humanitarian agency, told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
Theft and looting has continued in Afrin, the UK-based conflict monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, and water and electricity utilities have not resumed regular service.
Turkish officials have stated they would investigate reports of looting by members of Syrian militias.
The Observatory also reported some arrests of tens of people who had remained in Afrin, noting that they have been subject to insults and humiliation in detention centres.
Most of those fleeing Turkey’s onslaught on Afrin have sought shelter in Tal Rifaat, still under Kurdish YPG control, and smaller numbers have crossed into territory under control of pro-regime forces around the villages of Nubl and al-Zahra.
The WHO has sent four mobile health teams to these three areas and has a second shipment of medical supplies ready to send to Tal Rifaat and Afrin “once access is granted,” it stated on Friday.
The medical aid agency is also seeking to assist civilians remaining in Afrin city and surrounding areas now under control of Turkish forces and their Syrian allies. WHO is working with partners in Turkey to help boost cross-border services.
However, the aid that has been provided is insufficient, the Observatory stated, estimating that more than 300,000 people have been displaced, many of whom are suffering under poor weather conditions, sleeping in the open because of a lack of tents.
Some people have tried to reach Aleppo city, the monitor stated, but are being charged as much as $1,000 per person at checkpoints manned by pro-regime forces. Some are resorting to paying smugglers.
Inside Afrin, just one of four hospitals is still functioning, WHO stated, adding that it plans to ship supplies and medicines to the facility next week and is organizing a vaccination campaign.
Aid agencies have expressed concern about accessing Afrin since it came under Turkish control.
“We cannot access Afrin as it’s an occupied region,” Ali al-Zatari, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Syria, said this week, adding that daily attempts to reach the region are underway.
Turkish aid agencies have delivered aid to Afrin civilians, though the Observatory alleged that the aid is being handed out for the benefit of the media, “while behind the cameras and in the scattered and remote villages in Afrin countryside, [this] humanitarian aid was sold at high prices to merchants and shop owners.”
Turkish troops and allied Syrian militias announced control of Afrin city, the largest urban centre in the Kurdish canton, on Sunday.
Clashes continue throughout Afrin canton, with the Kurdish forces carrying out several attacks as part of its guerrilla-style campaign of resistance, according to local reports.
All their belongings except for what they carried with them have been confiscate and removed from Afrin.
It they were to go back, they would be jailed or worse.
It appears 1/2 of them found shelter with others outside, but the rest have lost their homes, possessions and means of making a living.
Is this not Cultural Cleansing (cultural genocide)? At the hands of Turkey and their FSA militia (including 3,000 ISIS Terrorists and many al Qaeda Terrorists)
Those who chose to remain in Afrin are in serious danger. Turkey has begun moving in Islamist supporters into the vacated homes. They intend to stay.
More invaders.
Sad.
The innocent people of that region have been suffering for too long. How did this get started? Was it the “Arab spring” that Hillary and B.O. supported? We know that the terrorist thugs take advantage of chaos but there must have been an undercurrent that was going on for a while. A lot of people blame the U.S. for going into Iraq for the turmoil but that’s only partly to blame.We,the U.S. should have left at least 10,000 troops behind to counter aggression.
The jerks Turks are just getting started on the Kurds. They will soon be rolling East with their final solution.
There’s only one answer to this. We have to take out Erdogan. Immediately. Tonight. What are we waiting for? This solves so many problems at once.
Washington should ship supplies to the gov’t in Syria. They are best able to manage local relief efforts
In the North of Syria, I’m not sure that is the solution.
Our relation with Syria has never been good. For good reasons, probably on both sides.
Assad is capable of great evil. And has a history of it.
With Iran at his side, it has been multiplied.
40 years is not “just getting started”.
Obama pulled US out of Iraq. Yes, Obama and some predecessors are guilty of making this far worse. Saudi money buying POLs certainly contributed.
Yes, this has gone on far too long.
Right now, Turkey’s invasion of Syria is a humanitarian disaster. It is ethnic cleansing and probably genocide to follow.
Or to Russia ( ha as if the West would admit that)
Russians helped evacuate and dealing with over 100,000 refugees from E Ghouta plus monitoring Syrian police bussing thousands of surrendered militants to Idlib
Read a report the Russians are talking to Turks about Tal Rifat
Another humanitarian move perhaps
Yes, Tragic Humanitarian Disaster.
These poor people.
Sad to say, the one point that Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran can agree upon is that they want to keep persecuting and repressing the Kurds. We should be airlifting pallets of weapons and food to them, they are the one bright spot in the Middle East other than Israel.
The US airlifting pallets of weapons to the Kurds is exactly what got this military incursion by Turkey started.
Not
Our
Problem.
L
Who is “we?”
Go hire a plane, Hold a bake sale, and fund this yourself.
L
Baathist Syria has never attacked the US in any way shape or form.
There is zero reason we should be squandering our blood and treasure there.
Kobar Towers?
I will post this in the morning:
Displaced Kurds from Afrin need help, activist says
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Displaced-Kurds-from-Afrin-need-help-activist-says-547096
Very bad humanitarian disaster. Due to Russia, Turkey, Iran and Assad.
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