ŞÊRÎN MUHAMED

Qamishlo-Women, who were displaced from Serêkanîyê (Ras al-Ayn), occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions, to the Newroz camp, located in the town of Dêrîk, Qamishlo, live with the hope of returning to their homeland one day despite the difficult living conditions.

The Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions attacked Serêkanîyê in 2019, displacing thousands. “After the Turkish state occupied Serêkanîyê, we had to leave our homeland,” said Raja Abdo, a displaced woman of Serêkanîyê living in the Newroz camp since 2019. “We face difficult living conditions in the camp because we have no kitchen to cook or bathroom to take a shower. We suffer from different living conditions in winter and summer. We endure all difficult living conditions because we hope to return to our homeland one day. Every mother dreams of living with her children safely. We hope our forces and all conscientious people, who hear our voices, will help us to return safely and end our story of displacement.”

‘We want to return to our homes’

NuJINHA also spoke to Avin Mustafa, who was sitting in front of her tent in the camp.

“For five years, we have stayed in this camp, which cannot protect us from the cold of winter or the heat of summer. We want to return to our homes because we face difficult living conditions in the camp. All displaced people demand to return to their homeland. The international community ignores the suffering of the displaced without caring about our daily suffering or our hope of having a normal life. We are deprived even of our fundamental rights. In the camp, women, especially pregnant women, suffer more. Women have to raise their children amidst difficult living conditions. Our tents are not suitable for use in extreme winter weather or extreme heat in summer. Despite all the difficult living conditions, we live with the hope of returning to our homes with dignity.”