On October 9, 2019 the Turkish army with Islamic allies started an offensive targeting mainly the area between Sere Kaniye and Tell Abiad. SDF in turn started to defend it. After few hours a massive displacement of population started toward south areas of Hasake, Raqqa, Ein issa and Tel Tamir. Below the detailed report day by day with photos and the casualties recorded. (First Report : 9-20th october) , Second Report: 20-30th October -PDF
Situation of IDPs
The number of counted IDPs just in Hassakeh City contains almost 3.000 families and around 11.500 individuals, from this number we have at least: 23 unaccompanied children, more than 5000 children between the ages 0-13, and more than 400 pregnant or breastfeeding women. Those IDPs are currently divided into around 60 schools.
Many more families and individuals are displaced in and around Raqqa, Tabqa and Qamishli, and elsewhere. Many displaced families were able to find temporary accommodation at their relatives’ or friends’ houses.
Some thousands arrived to northern Iraq to a formal camp of Mosul IDPs. This camp was not prepared to receive this high number of IDPs and is missing tents, WASH facilities as well as Health Care services and the provision of food and water.
The biggest deficit for IDPs in Hassakeh is the lack of water, as well as WASH facilities and toilets, we are expecting outbreaks of diarrhea in the near future.
KRC is providing mobile units for primary health care and some ambulances for emergencies. This is not enough for the amount of people, taking into consideration the bad hygiene circumstances.
Currently the Self-Administration is planning and building a new camp near by Hassakeh. This camp is prepared for 40-50.000 IDPs. Further the formal Yezidian camp “Newroz” is under preparation to host around 10-15.000 people. Already now some people have arrived to this camp, due to the lack of tents these people are currently sleeping in the Toilet and WASH containers.
Since those IDPs are expected to stay for a long period in the new camps, the self-administration was planning to set up caravans, also taking under consideration that soon it will be very cold. But the high number of IDPs can unfortunately not be covered by caravans. The request to UNHCR to provide tents is still ignored.
With thankful regards to the great solidarity from around the world and private donations, including the Kurdish governorates in northern Iraq, we were able to support those camps with infrastructure and the provision of health care in the future. But taking into consideration the coming winter and the lack of time it is still not enough. So much is missing… starting from cooking facilities and heaters, ending with proper WASH facilities and the basic provision of food and water.
The main water pipe, destroyed by a Turkish airstrike is still not fixed and the whole region is still lacking water.
Note: while writing this report the UNHCR were sending 20 tents to Newroz Camp.
30th of October
● The Kurdish Red Crescent had to further reduce the number of staff of Tal Tamr (Legerin Hospital) as the clashes were getting closer to the city. By the time of writing the clashes were around 5km away from Tal Tamr.
● Many families left their homes as well and were heading mostly towards Hassakeh.
● Also, GoS troops left Tal Tamr, the clashes increased with the ending of the ceasefire andthe Turkish army has superior equipment to the Syrian army…
● While writing this report we got confirmed that the SDF is heading out to Tal Tamrand started offensive to protect Tal Tamr and the villages around.
25th-29th of October
● Since the last update and following the end of the 5 day Ceasefire, conflict activities continued along the Turkish backed groups/SDF, in the following areas: Kherbet ElFaras, Abadi,Khafiyeh, Tabash, Bir Arab until 22 October.
● After that in Kisreh, Al-Meshrafah, Assadiya villages – Al-Amiriyah, Manajir , Tal Al-Laban , Kozliyeh. Until 24th of October.
● On the 25th of October, GoS were deployed along the border between Qamishli and Ras Alain (Sere Kaniye) cities.
● Until 27th clashes were in Bab Al-Khayr, Big Arada, Kisreh and clashes began after GoS deployed along Tal Tamer/Abu Rasin road on 26 October,and in Al-Meshrafah, Kherbet Hamid ,Kherbet Hamid, Jan Tamer , Norhtern Mrikyz.
● Until 29th clashes are reportedly ongoing West of Western Rabiat village and inside Tal Mohamed. OAGs attempted to cut Abu Rasin/Tal Tamer.
Civilian casualties since the 9th of October– starting the Turkish invasion- recorded by KRC team, while a high number of casualties and dead people could not have been counted, since we could not reach them, as those who lost their lives in Ras Al Ain.
Dead: 87 in total recorded by KRC of them, male and female,11 of them were evacuated with KRC teams in Raselein in 19th and 20th of October. Many of the Dead could not be registered or recorded due to distortion. From the massacre of the civilian convoy 6 victims has been registered, in orange below, from them 11th certified.
6 of them are younger than 18 years old, 9 of them are female.
Injured and shocked: 2472 registered by KRC. 47 of them were with the convoy those were evacuated from Ras AL Ain and not included in the table below.
43 of them are less than 18 years old, 61 of them are female. LIST IN PDF
21th – 24th of October,2019
• On 24th we get confirmation that the ambulance team which was working in Suluk, were killed by the Turkish backed forces (we cannot tell the names in popular in this day in respect to insure that the families will know verbally and respectfully and not through documents) the names to be shared later, 3 nurses two of them female and one male. Also, the Kurdish red crescent was informed that they were buries badly in the water sewage system in Suluk near Tal abyad.
• On 22th and During a short press conference following a several-hours long meeting, the Presidents of the Russian Federation and of Turkey announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding Russian/Syrian and Turkish concerns/ interests in Syria.
• After all INGOs left, there is huge pressure on the local NGOs and there is a big miscoordination with the ones on ground with UN agencies since, and as there was expectation that the seize fire is ending, the Kurdish Red Crescent announced a statement:
As the ceasefire in northern Syria nears its end, the people in northern Syria are waiting for their fate, having largely lost faith in the international community to take serious action to reduce a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.
The Kurds, Arabs and some international people gave their lives and lost their beloved to fight ISIS. The international community where not even able to take back imprisoned or hosted ISIS families to their nations.
As everyone knows, the situation inside the camps where already difficult before the attack of Turkey. Now it became disastrous. We took it as our humanitarian mandatory to serve all people no matter of their background, nationality, race, religion, gender. But the international community where not able to support this humanitarian principles. We will always continue our work in this way, accepting the international humanitarian principles, because we cannot watch people dying or suffering. And we still protect the ideas of international laws and principles. But our trust in the humanity of the international community is lost. Our capacity has ended, we cannot bear this responsibility anymore.
About 200.000 people have already been displaced (since the attack from turkey), to more southern areas.
Those areas are already now overcrowded. There are no shelters, not enough food, not enough medicines, not enough drinking water. The water pipeline which got hit by an airstrike is still not functioning. More than 500.000 people are since more than one week without water supply.
Further there is still ISIS cells in all areas. The Kurdish security forces has no capacity at all anymore to protect the civilians from the terror of ISIS or the allies of turkey. In these days ISIS where able to increase their capabilities again in the whole region. Many ISIS families could already flee to unknown areas. The security forces cannot ensure the security in other camps anymore. We as humanitarian aid workers cannot ensure the supply services anymore which will increase the frustration of the inhabitants of the camps and lead to a higher security risk for humanitarian aid workers and also camp security. Not to mention the very bad health situation for many inhabitants and the already very weak newborn and children in these camps.
Since the ceasefire, we documented 21 civilian dyed and 27 injured. Not counted are all those who remains under the destroyed houses, got kidnapped or executed by the allies of turkey.
In total we documented 9 casualties of health workers until now.
Two camps, including ISIS families, are already evacuated or where able to flee (Ein Issa & Mabrouka). 5 hospitals and clinics are out of service, 2 hospitals in Kobane and the hospital in Tal Tamr had to evacuate inbetween but could manage to go back and provide their services again. Until now we have no access to the
regions of Kobane and Menbij to send medicines or other supplies.
After the withdraw of hundreds of humanitarian organizations, the number of victims will increase very dramatically. We reached the gates of a humanitarian catastrophe and an expected genocide while the international community is watching and did not take any serious step to reduce this catastrophe.
We don’t know what will happen after the ceasefire. If Turkey will attack the whole border district at least 1 million people will have to leave their homes. There is no capacity and no space to cover the needs of all those people. Taking into consideration, that the weather is changing very fast and it is getting cold. Especially
children and elderly will suffer a lot or dye under these circumstances.
