RONÎDA HACÎ

Hasakah-Since Turkish attacks began in Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) and Girê Spî (Tell Abyad), hundreds of thousands people have been forcibly displaced to safe places in the NE Syrian Autonomous Region. The Autonomous Administration built the Washokani Refugee Camp in Hasakah for the displaced people of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî. The camp is currently inhabited by more than 4,000 displaced people. The Autonomous Administration and Heyva Sor a Kurd (Kurdish Red Crescent) try to support the displaced people in the camp through their own means while international human rights organizations remain silent against the challenges faced by the displaced people. Hêvîn Ebdo, Co-Chair of the Washokani Camp Council, spoke to NuJINHA about the difficult living conditions in the camp.

“Human rights organizations turn a blind eye”

Stating that the people, who left Serêkaniyê due to Turkish shelling, have been living in the camp, Hêvîn Ebdo said, “Three years have passed since Serêkaniyê was occupied. More than 4,000 citizens of Serêkaniyê have been living in Washokani Camp under difficult conditions for three years. The displaced people neglected by human rights organizations struggle to survive despite difficult living conditions. The camp was built for the displaced people by the Autonomous Administration in a short time. The Autonomous Administration and Heyva Sor a Kurd provide support through their own means but their support is not enough because the displaced people need many things.  Their living conditions have been worsening especially after the economic crisis. The human rights organizations turn a blind eye to the living conditions of the displaced people.”

Challenges faced by the displaced people

Pointing out that the living conditions of the displaced people is worsening with the arrival of the summer, Hêvîn Ebdo said:

“The tents in the camp have not been renewed for three years. They become unusable. Humanitarian aid organizations do not provide vital needs and support. Every day, the displaced people come to the council and complain about their tents. As the council, we do our best to make their voices heard by the humanitarian aid organizations but these organizations do not answer us. In summer, the people in the camp need water and electricity. They suffer from many diseases due to water shortage. The human rights organizations should be aware of the challenges faced by the displaced people and monitor their living conditions. Now scorpions and snakes have appeared in the camp. The organizations should take a step to protect the people from scorpions and snakes.” 

They do not accept the occupation

Pointing to the resistance of the displaced people despite everything, Hêvîn Ebdo said, “They keep resisting despite everything. They stay in the camp in order to return to Serêkaniyê when it is liberated. They endure all difficulties to defeat the occupiers and defeat the policies that displace people. They do not expect anything from human rights organizations because all they want is to return to their homeland. They always tell us that they do not accept the occupation.”

“Human rights organizations do not fulfill their duty”

Emîna Mihemed is one of the displaced people of Serêkaniyê living in the camp. Speaking about why they live in the camp, she said, “We were at home. The Turkish state attacked us. For this reason, we had to leave our home. We came to the Washokani camp since it is the only place that we can live. However, the human rights organizations do not provide any support to us. We live under very difficult conditions. We need new tents. The human rights organizations should come here and see the situation in the camp.  The Autonomous Administration does its best to support us. We thank them for their support. But the Autonomous Administration is under attack. Since we came to the camp, we have called on the human rights organizations to support us. But they do not fulfill their duty; they do not defend human rights. If they had, they would have stopped the Turkish state's attacks targeting civilians.”