Silva Al-Ibrahim

Al-Tabqa - While the people of Afrin live in tents made of fabric that can barely protect them from the summer heat or the winter cold, armed factions occupy their homes in Afrin city. As the displaced families wait for humanitarian organizations to deliver food aid, those same factions live off the orchards of the displaced- orchards left behind after massacres were committed against their original owners.

The demand for a safe return to Afrin is at the core of the displaced residents’ struggle. They were forcibly uprooted twice- first during Turkey’s invasion of Afrin, and again during the latest offensive by Turkish forces and their allied factions on the Shahba region.

Displaced resident Layla Mohammed says she is one of thousands enduring the hardships of displacement, living with her children in a worn-out tent that offers no protection from the heat or cold, while holding onto hope of returning home.

 “We suffer a lot in the camp. This isn’t the first time we’ve lived under such conditions. Since Afrin was occupied- seven years ago- this has been our reality. But the second displacement was the hardest of all.”

Due to family circumstances, Layla had to visit Afrin recently, for the first time in seven years. She describes her hometown as “no longer the place we left-it has changed completely.”

She recounts the horrifying stories told by those she met ther- tales of oppression and systematic targeting: “Those who returned have been subjected to beatings, arbitrary arrests, and torture. Most are afraid to leave their homes for fear of assault or detention by the Turkish-backed factions. Kurds, in particular, live in constant fear- they are the most targeted group. Women are confined to their homes amid chaos and insecurity. After 5 p.m., no one dares go out for fear of being attacked or arrested.”

Layla points out that Turkish military bases remain in the city and its surrounding towns, despite claims that the “interim government” is in control.

 “Residents complain of repeated violations by the factions- cutting down trees, banning their care, which has led to widespread drying and withering of orchards. Afrin was once famous for its greenery, but now much of it has vanished. Many families who stayed are forbidden from watering or tending to their trees, while the factions harvest the crops and give the landowners less than half of the value.”

She adds that the homes of displaced civilians are now occupied by the families of fighters from Eastern Ghouta and other Syrian regions.

 “They looted the houses, stole doors and windows, and destroyed walls and fences before leaving.”

Layla stresses that no one is willing to return to Afrin under current conditions: “We will not return unless it is under the protection of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and with self-administration by the city’s own sons and daughters. No one accepts living under occupation. We demand support to rebuild our destroyed homes.”

She emphasizes that restoring security and administration to Afrin’s own people is not only the demand of the displaced but also of those still living under occupation:

“Many families tried to return but were detained and tortured. Most of them went back to the camps after seeing the reality of Afrin. That’s why we insist on a safe and dignified return- never a humiliating one. We want a collective return, with legal guarantees and international protection. Above all, Afrin must be protected and administered by its own people. We will not allow our community to face extermination like what happened in the Syrian coast and in Sweida- and such a scenario is possible.”

Ensuring the safe return of all displaced Syrians to their towns and villages- and guaranteeing their protection- remains one of the key clauses of the March 10 agreement signed between the Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, and Ahmad al-Shar’a (known as al-Jolani).