An NGO worker worker who has just arrived in Syria’s autonomous northeast, known as Rojava, has written a series of posts on social media platform X about her impression of the regional situation under Turkish bombardment. Anita Starosta, head of communications at German NGO Medico International, said that people in Rojava were waiting tensely for news of the next attack.
She wrote: “I have been in #Rojava for a few days now – the fear of a new Turkish attack is oppressive, the ongoing drone attacks are leading to a permanent level of tension among the population.” Indeed, last Thursday a couple was injured by an Israeli drone strike on their car in the Kobane area. On 22 April tens of thousands of people rallied against Turkey’s attacks on 22 April tens of thousands of people rallied against Turkey’s attacks in Qamişlo, Derik, Dirbesiyê, Eyn İsa, Çilaxa, Til Birak and Kobanê. The demonstrators called for solidarity with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerillas in Iraqi Kurdistan, and denounced Turkey’s continued attacks in North and East Syria.
A statement from civil society organisations and political parties in Qamişlo reads: “The Turkish regime is the main cause of instability in the region with the invasions it carries out with the support of terrorist groups, the war and hatred it spreads among the peoples, as well as violating the sovereign rights of states and creating internal crises.”
Starosta went onto emphasise that Turkey’s attacks have caused significant damage to infrastructure in North and East Syria, causing widespread suffering in the civilian population. She continued: “The water supply is more than inadequate, there is hardly any consistent electricity supply, oil and diesel are in short supply – the Turkish attacks have destroyed significant parts of the civilian infrastructure. The economic crisis is leading to horrendous food prices.”
Die Wasserversorgung ist mehr als unzureichend, es gibt kaum noch durchgängige Stromversorgung, Öl und Diesel ist knapp – die türkischen Angriffe haben wesentliche Teile der zivilen Infrastruktur zerstört. Die ökonomische Krise führt zu horrenden Lebensmittelpreisen. pic.twitter.com/eWHNhwsWcR
— Anita Starosta (@StarostaAnita) April 21, 2024
She pointed out that the issue of ISIS families detained in al-Hawl camp has not been dealt with, as the international community have failed to offer a solution. “There is still no solution for the thousands of (international) IS families. The next IS generation continues to grow up in the camps. There is no prospect of an international tribunal for the IS prisoners,” she said.
The lack of international support puts massive pressure on the local Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), Starosta said. “This does not provide any relief for the local government and those who have been trying for years to do the right thing in an almost impossible situation. The future of the region depends on the decisions of the numerous geopolitical players.”
Starosta gives a dire warning that aid to North and East Syria has slowed to a trickle. “The fear of being forgotten is great – international aid is becoming less and less, important actors are allowing central aid programs to expire, hardly anyone is taking notice of the ever worsening situation.”
She comments that the people of the region follow the Israeli attack on Gaza closely: “People here know only too well what it means to be at someone’s mercy.”
She concluded her comments on a happier note, highlighting that an amusement park has been built in Qamişlo, with international support. According to Starosta: “Qamişlo now has an amusement park! This was built with international support – the first in Rojava. Entry is free for everyone, families can spend a few carefree hours here. In a day-to-day life that has been plagued by crises for years, such moments are priceless.”
