Over 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Syria’s Shahba (Şehba) region are facing a second exodus, as they struggle to survive under siege from Turkish-backed militia, local news agencies report.
Shahba has been both a refuge and a battleground since Turkish forces and allied militias occupied Afrin (Efrîn) in 2018. Hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to flee, many finding themselves in Shahba, a region already under pressure from various factions. Today, the region hosts over 200,000 displaced individuals, living in five main camps under dire conditions.
The region has been subjected to relentless attacks, including Turkish airstrikes and artillery shelling. The latest offensive, launched on 26 November 2024 by Turkish-backed militias, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the rebel Syrian National Army (SNA), intensified the suffering. Local resistance forces, including Afrin Liberation Forces (HRE), have continued to defend the region.
Exacerbating the situation, the Assad regime has employed blockades, cutting off essential supplies including fuel, water, and medical aid. These restrictions have put the civilians in immediate danger, with many children and elderly succumbing to preventable conditions due to the lack of resources.
The camps in Shahba house thousands of displaced people, with an average of 500–900 families per camp. Despite efforts by organisations to provide basic services like education and healthcare, ongoing sieges and attacks severely threaten these already limited resources.
The civilian organisation Afrin and Shahba People’s Assembly announced on Monday the decision to evacuate the Tel Rifaat (Til Rifat) and Shahba regions to protect civilians from massacres. The assembly emphasised that their decision to relocate the population en masse from besieged areas, was not a retreat but a necessity for survival, reaffirming their commitment to the liberation of Afrin and the defence of Kurdish lands.
