HESNA MIHEMED

Shahba- The two earthquakes centered in Maraş on February 6, caused extensive damage in Amed (Diyarbakır), Dilok (Antep), Meletî (Malatya), Riha (Urfa), Semsur (Adıyaman), Hatay, Kilis, Adana, Osmaniye and many northwest Syrian cities. Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods already suffering from a siege imposed by the Syrian government have been seriously affected by the earthquakes. The earthquakes have killed six and injured dozens in the neighborhoods, where some buildings collapsed due to the earthquakes.

According to the People’s Municipality, 400 buildings in two neighborhoods have been damaged by the earthquakes and 12 buildings must be urgently pulled down. However, the earthquake survivors in the neighborhoods cannot access aid due to the limited resources of the municipality and the siege imposed on the region by the Syrian government. Although a month has passed since the earthquakes, only the Heyva Sor a Kurd (the Kurdish Red Crescent) sent humanitarian aid to the neighborhoods. NuJINHA spoke to Hêvîn Silêman, Co-chair of the General Assembly of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, about the current situation in the two neighborhoods.

‘Aid to neighborhoods were blocked’

Noting that their neighborhoods have been seriously affected by the earthquakes, Hêvîn Silêman said, “Women and children are the most affected by the earthquakes in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. The administrators of both neighborhoods immediately mobilized and have supported the people since the first day of the earthquakes. We placed the earthquake survivors in safe places. We tried to help our people and meet their needs with our limited means. So far, no country has sent humanitarian aid to the neighborhoods. People support each other and help each other. Only the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has sent us humanitarian aid. Many aid convoys sent by the Autonomous Administration were blocked by the Syrian government.”

‘The Syrian government keeps imposing the siege’

“Despite the earthquakes, the Syrian government keeps imposing a siege on the neighborhoods,” Hêvîn Silêman said, “People all around the world and all countries mobilized to help the earthquake survivors. They sent humanitarian aid to earthquake-affected areas. However, the Syrian government and the Turkish state use the earthquakes for their own interests. The humanitarian aid sent to the neighborhoods are blocked by the Syrian government to depopulate the neighborhoods. The Syrian government allows the transfer of some humanitarian aid and confiscates the rest.”

‘400 buildings are damaged’

“Some buildings that had been damaged in both neighborhoods by the Turkey-backed factions, collapsed due to the earthquakes,” Hêvîn Silêman said, “The earthquakes have killed six and injured dozens in the neighborhoods. According to the municipality, there are 400 damaged buildings in the neighborhoods. 12 buildings must be urgently pulled down. Other buildings are also affected by the earthquakes; if people live in these buildings, another disaster may occur. The municipality has limited means and the Syrian government does not allow the transfer of the humanitarian aid to the neighborhoods.”

Calling on the countries to put pressure on the Syrian government for the end of the siege, Hêvîn Silêman said, “They should put pressure on the Turkish state so that the Turkish state leaves Syrian territories and the displaced people can return to their homeland. The displaced people of Afrin, who live in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, want to return to Afrin.”