Afrin: Prevention of Displaced Families’ Return to Their Original Areas

Afrin: Prevention of Displaced Families’ Return to Their Original Areas
December 24, 2024, 2:34 pm

عفرين - ليفانت نيوز

Displaced families who fled to the Afrin area during the Turkish military operation known as "Olive Branch" are facing increasing pressure from the "National Army" factions loyal to Ankara. These factions seek to keep the displaced in the region and prevent the return of the original residents to their homes, despite the desires of many families to return to the areas from which they were forcibly displaced.

These pressures reflect the ongoing tensions in Afrin, where armed factions control the city, exacerbating the suffering of both the displaced persons and the local population while deepening the humanitarian crisis in the region.

A few days ago, the Sheikh Hadid district in the Afrin countryside, under the control of the "Amshat" faction, witnessed a mass exodus of more than 50 families from the villages of Anqaleh, Sanarah, and Haykijah. This exodus was a result of unbearable living conditions and repeated violations, including the imposition of financial extortions and mistreatment.

According to local sources, the "Amshat" faction has imposed exorbitant extortions, demanding residents pay one dollar for every olive tree they own and 25 dollars for every tree that belongs to the displaced individuals.

While the displaced people wish to return to their homes in the village of Arenda in the Sheikh Hadid district, they face significant fears, as the faction imposes a ransom ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 dollars for every civilian vehicle. Consequently, returning families remain stuck in the district center, unable to return to their village.

Under these challenging circumstances, the residents of the Sheikh Hadid villages have escalated their demands for the formation of a civilian convoy to transport them to other areas such as Idlib or Damascus, in pursuit of reclaiming their usurped rights and putting an end to the ongoing injustice they have faced for seven years under the control of the "Amshat" faction.

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