Afrinpost
Shiraz Hamo, the joint chairperson of the Executive Council in the Afrin region, said during press statements about the conditions of the displaced people of Afrin in Al-Shahba, in light of the siege imposed by the Syrian regime, that “after the displacement, the Syrian government imposed a suffocating siege on the province (Shahba), and this siege was an obstacle for the people to meet their needs, create instability, and cause a living crisis. ”
She added: “The infrastructure of Al-Shahba was devastated by 80% when our people resorted to it, as a result of wars, which made it difficult for the people to live in, especially with the scarcity of international support and logistical support for the people of the province, and the autonomous-management has limited its capabilities to serve its people, and is still making efforts to secure the needs of the residents. ”
Hamo continued: “The Syrian government prohibits the entry of medicines into the province or receiving emergency cases, which causes health problems, because it is one of urgent matters that are difficult to postpone. In addition, government forces’ barriers impose heavy taxes on the people of Afrin while they are going to the city with ambulances ”
She added: “It also creates social problems due to widespread poverty in society and high unemployment. It is difficult for us, like the administration of the region, to open commercial crossings, develop projects for the people and market production to Aleppo, because the geography of Al-Shahba is small, and this reflects on the conditions of the people in the district.” .
Shiraz appealed the international organizations and humanitarian organizations, to take into consideration the situation of Al-Shahba, secure the needs and reach a solution to return the residents of the province to their homes, and reach a political vision that serves the interests of the Syrian people.
Despite the majority of the people of Afrin owning houses in Aleppo, especially in the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods, those wishing to go from Al-Shahba to Aleppo have to pay financial amounts ranging between 75 thousand and 200 thousand Syrian pounds, according to what the smugglers claim for the road safety and ease.
The majority of the smugglers are from the towns of Nubul and Al-Zahra, where during the siege they were able to raise money of Afrin expatriates in exchange for their transfer to Aleppo, especially in the beginning of displacement after the Turkish military occupation of the Kurdish Afrin region, as the prices of smuggling per person reached one and a half million Syrian Pound!
The regime’s desire to block the Afrini people and prevent them from entering Aleppo is due to its desire to punish them, as it considers them to have refused to accept its central rule, at a time when Islamic militias known as the “Free Army” of the Turkish occupation and the Muslim Brotherhood contributed to achieving the regime’s goal by eliminating The most successful model for regions not subject to its central authority, which is the “autonomous-management”.
The Syrian regime did not want a role model, as chaos, theft, armed robbery, and insecurity in the occupied areas by the Islamic militias prevailed, while Afrin was living its finest days, during the rule of law and security, which drove hundreds of investors of the indigenous people and neighboring areas to establish projects in Afrin.
