By Norshan Abdi
Ain Issa — Women displaced from Tel Abyad/Girê Spî, now residing in Tal al-Samn Camp in northern Raqqa, are calling for an end to their suffering and demanding a safe, dignified return to their homes.

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria established the camp in October 2019 to shelter families fleeing the Turkish invasion. Today, the camp hosts 1,247 families (6,960 people)—most of them women and children. After six years of displacement, they continue to endure hardship but remain deeply tied to the dream of returning home.

On the sixth anniversary of Turkey’s occupation of Tel Abyad, our agency visited Tal al-Samn Camp in the Raqqa Canton to witness how women there cling to hope despite the harsh reality of exile.

“We Will Resist Until We Liberate Our City”
Adla Khalil Hami (48), displaced from the village of Al-Tayba, recalls:
“At 4 p.m., the bombardment began with heavy artillery, warplanes, and drones. The next day, the attacks intensified and reached our village. The militias entered with convoys and relentless shelling—it was beyond words. Fear consumed the children, so we decided to leave to protect their lives. We thought it would be temporary, just a few days—but here we are, six years later. I miss my house filled with flowers and trees—the home I was forced to abandon.”

Adla believes Turkey’s occupation is not just about land, but about destabilizing and dividing the region’s communities:
“Tel Abyad was home to Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Armenians living together peacefully. Turkey accused us of terrorism, but it is the biggest sponsor of terrorism. Where were those so-called fighters when ISIS controlled Tel Abyad?”

She explains that Turkey provided logistical, medical, and military support to ISIS through the Tel Abyad border crossing:
“We saw it with our own eyes. When ISIS failed and our forces defeated them, Turkey attacked us directly.”

For Adla, Turkish intervention has been one of the main forces destroying Syria and turning the revolution into a prolonged crisis:
“Turkey’s invasion of Tel Abyad was the first open military intervention in Syria. More than a decade after the revolution, and six years after that occupation, Turkey still interferes militarily and politically in Syrian affairs.”

She adds:
“As long as Turkey continues to interfere in Syria, there will be no safety or stability. We, the displaced people of Tel Abyad, will not be able to return home safely.”

Still, Adla refuses to give up:
“Our demand for a safe return is a right we will continue to defend. The so-called Interim Government must uphold the agreements it signed and ensure the return of all displaced Syrians. Turkey must recognize that we are Syrians first—whether Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, or Armenian—and we can solve our internal issues ourselves. Syria’s problems can only be solved by its own people.”

“We Named It the Dignity Camp”
Jawaher Issa (45), displaced from the Suluk subdistrict, recalls the painful first days of displacement:
“At the beginning, it was unbearable—we faced cold winters and scorching summers. But we stayed here, near our city, near our homes. We named it Dignity Camp because our dignity is still alive here.”

They fled under the roar of shelling and drones to save their children’s lives:
“We first went to Raqqa, but couldn’t stay there, so we came here. And since that day, we’ve never left.”

The memories of war still haunt her:
“When we left Suluk, we saw the bodies of civilians who had died because of Turkey’s ambitions. The pain and fear on our children’s faces are burned into our memory—moments we can never forget.”

For Jawaher, staying close to their land, even in tents, is a form of resistance:
“At least we are still in Syria. When we see our children in these tents, our hearts ache, but we endure it all for the hope of going back home. All we ask for is a safe return.”

“We Work Tirelessly to Support the Camp’s Residents”
Yazi Jumaa, a member of the camp’s administration, explains that Tal al-Samn (Dignity) Camp was established by the Civil Administration of Raqqa Canton to host displaced families from Tel Abyad/Girê Spî in 2019.

“It houses 1,247 families and nearly 7,000 people, mostly women and children. Despite our efforts to meet their needs, they are still displaced, far from their homes. No amount of aid can replace what they’ve lost.”

She describes how the camp is organized:
“We formed communes and committees to manage daily affairs and distribute aid. The camp has three schools for primary and middle-level education, and three health centers supported by the administration and NGOs.”

Despite limited resources, the camp’s management continues to coordinate with humanitarian organizations:
“We are currently preparing for winter—working to secure heating supplies and reinforce tents so that families can face the cold safely.”

For the women of Dignity Camp, displacement is not just a story of loss—it’s a daily act of resilience. Their struggle is not over, and their message is clear: until foreign intervention ends, there can be no safe return home.