RAPARÎN BAKER

Shahba - The people of Afrin, who were forcibly displaced from Afrin due to the Turkish state's occupation of Afrin in March 2018, exhibit a great resistance in Shahba despite the cold weather in winter.

For five years, the displaced people of Afrin living in Shahba have been subjected to the ongoing Turkish attacks, and the siege and embargo imposed by the Damascus government. The siege imposed by the Damascus government has intensified for particularly three months. The displaced people of Afrin cannot access essential supplies such as basic foodstuff, fuel and medicines.

In Shehba, where people from all nations and religions live in fraternity under the umbrella of the autonomous administration formed based on the “democratic nation” project, women say that the bombardments, sieges and embargoes cannot break their strong will.

‘An economic warfare is waged’

Zeyneb Bilal is one of the displaced people of Afrin, who live in the Shahba Canton. Speaking about the siege imposed by the Damascus government on Shahba, she said, “The occupying Turkish state and states that think like it forced us to leave Afrin. But their aim was not only to displace us but also break our will by imposing a siege on us. The Damascus government has prevented the access of food, medicine and fuel from entering the area. Economic warfare is waged against us. The Damascus government has been intensifying its siege and embargo on us in winter. Now, we face a humanitarian catastrophe due to fuel shortages in the region. Our children get cold due to the cold weather and we cannot do anything for them.”

‘We will challenge the siege’

Emphasizing that there is only a hospital in Shahba and the people suffer from the lack of medicines, Zeyneb Bilal said, “We cannot take our children to the hospital due to the lack of fuel. We have resisted the siege and attacks for a year and our resistance weakens the enemy. They use all kinds of methods to break our will and end our resistance. But we will endure the cold weather and challenge the siege. Our resistance will liberate all occupied areas.”

Women find alternatives

Hatice Halil is one of the displaced people of Afrin who live in the Serdem camp located in Shahba. Speaking about the siege imposed on them, she said, “The government of Damascus has been imposing an inhumane siege. Women are the most affected by this siege. We make efforts and resist to have an honorable life and we will never accept being humiliated. For this reason, we find alternatives to get rid of siege and embargo. We use plastic materials to cook and to keep our children warm.”

Call on humanitarian aid organizations

Ayşa Rislan told us how she resisted the siege. “Every day, I wake up early and go out to collect plastic materials and firewood. I use them to cook and keep my children warm because we cannot access natural gas, diesel and fuel. I call on humanitarian aid organizations and human rights organizations to end the siege and embargo.”

‘They cannot break our resistance and will’

Zarife İbrahim said that they would resist the ongoing Turkish attacks. “We left Afrin because we did not accept to live under the politics of the occupying Turkish state, which wants to plunder and destroy the region. We have resisted its warplanes. The government of Damascus will not break our resistance and will. We will resist the attacks, siege and embargo.”