The siege of Aleppo: Desperate situation for refugees from Afrin

In the heart of Aleppo, the siege of the Syrian regime continues since more than a year, with detrimental repercussions from those that were displaced from Afrin. In spite of the presence of the United Nations and the International Red Cross, located inly a few kilometers away from the besieged neighborhoods, no humanitarian intervention has been conducted until now.

More than 200.000 civilians are living under suffocating conditions due to the current siege by the Syrian regime. In the mainly Kurdish-inhabited neighborhoods, especially Al-Sheikh Maqsoud and Al-Ashrafiyya, the Syrian government literally waged an economic war in order to seize control of the residents’ daily lives and impose additional taxes – especially on indispensable items, such as fuel, provided by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, in the Eastern part of the country.

At the same time, more than 50.000 displaced refugees, originally hailing from Afrin, are exposed to an increasingly aggravating crisis. Local authorities warned of an imminent “catastrophe”. In addition, education and learnings was partially suspended. In fact, more than 14.000 students cannot continue their education and more than 70 schools in those areas that are currently inhabited by the displaced population were closed – a miserable reality after the forced displacement from Afrin by the Turkish army in March 2018.

The control centers of the Syrian regime effectively prevent that fuel, flour and motor oil can enter into the neighborhoods, leading to the stagnation of the daily lives in the quarters and camps. The civilian population is very much dependent on fuel which is necessary for literally everything, may it be electric motors, ovens, communication towels or internet. Especially in the winter months, fuel constitutes the only source of heating.

Local officials warned of an imminent humanitarian crisis, in case that the United Nations or the International Red Cross will not intervene. The two only operating hospitals in the region, providing services and aid to more than 250.000 civilians, closed the majority of their departments due to the regular power blackouts. Thus, they currently only serve as first-aid centers and barely manage to serve the people in the region as even the ambulances are profoundly affected by the current siege.

Abdullah Mohammed, 70 years old, depict the hard realities of their daily struggle: “Due to the striking cold I can hardly sleep as my radiator lacks diesel. The power generators do not function anymore. What can we do? Are we not also Syrians? Why is this neighborhood treated as if it was located outside of Syria?”

In spite of continuous appeals from Amnesty International at the beginning of the year, the Syrian government did not solely not react to these demands but also aggravated the siege.

The taxes for fuel from Eastern Syria were increased, hence, further exacerbating the squalid living conditions of the civilian population in the besieged.

Local sources report on the demands of the government, namely more than 115 US Dollar for every barrel (220 liters) diesel, in addition to the main taxes – a condition that is considered to be particularly suffocating, in regards to the economic conditions in Aleppo, which in comparison to the other areas, under Syrian control, are slightly better.