According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee Representation’s (UNHCR) data, there are 3.6 million registered refugees and 370,000 migrants from various countries in Turkey. The Directorate General of Migration Management also announced that as of 23 September, 59,785 Syrian refugees lived in temporary refugee centers and 3,562,183 lived in cities.
According to the JinNews report, Turkiya Naif (55) migrated from Aleppo in Syria to Turkey due to attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He settled in Van (Wan) and now struggles to earn a living in the city with his children and grandchildren.
The family could not afford rent for three years
Turkiya and his family could not afford the rent for three years. They have now moved into the Hacıbekir neighbourhood in the İpekyolu district and live in a container with their twelve children and grandchildren.
Turkiya earns a living by working as a junk dealer and his wife cannot afford even her daily needs. The children grow up under poor health conditions and they play with objects around the container despite the spreading Covid-19 outbreak.
In addition, women have to wash the dishes and do the laundry with cold water outside the container, even in the coldest of weather. Turkiya’s wife says, “My husband and two sons ensure our living by collecting junk”.
Turkiya says the Turkish government paid them only 200 Turkish lira (TL). The family’s wish is to return home. “We want the war to end so we can return to our land”.
