ZEYNEB ISA

Qamishlo- Stêrk Organization for Protection and Monitoring of Children’s Rights in North and East Syria aims to protect children from all forms of violence, abuse and being deprived of their rights. The organization holds awareness-raising seminars and various activities for children. The organization has recently made great efforts to build a safe life for children, who were displaced from Afrin and Shehba to Qamishlo.

‘Our duty is to build children’s communes’

The organization’s main duty is to protect children, said Jûlya Xelo, Spokesperson of the organization.

“As the Stêrk Organization, our duty and responsibility is to protect children's rights, such as their right to education, to a safe life and to live in a peaceful society. The most important duty of the organization is to build children’s communes. At these communes, we monitor children’s family relationships, social and psychological situations.”

‘Children experienced many things during their journey of displacement’

Jûlya Xelo pointed to the attacks on North and East Syria and said, “On November 27, 2024, the Turkish state intensified its attacks on North and East Syria, especially on the Shahba Canton. The people, who had been displaced from Afrin to Shahba, were displaced from Shahba to the Jazira Canton by the Turkish attacks. Many children were subjected to violence and abuse during their journey of displacement. Some children suffer from trauma because their parents and siblings were killed in front of them. As the Stêrk Organization, we took action to protect and monitor these children. We provided humanitarian aid, such as winter clothes to the people displaced to the Jazira Canton. Then, we built children’s communes to provide them a safe space and monitor their conditions. Our organization also provides psychological support to these children and holds awareness-raising seminars for them. We will always support children.”

‘Our door is open for all children’

The Stêrk Organization will always support children, Jûlya Xelo emphasized, concluding her speech saying, “As the Stêrk Organization, we will always support children to overcome trauma. We will organize various activities for them. We will take them out to the streets, to parks, to swimming pools where they can learn to swim. We will hold awareness-raising seminars in order to provide them health support and monitor their family relationships by visiting their family. In recent days, brutal attacks have been carried out on Sweida. The people of Sweida asked the SDF to help them by opening a humanitarian corridor in order to enter North and East Syria. When the Druze people come here, we will be ready to support them and protect their children. Our door is open for all children.”