Syria
A man carries a lamb as residents flee Aleppo's Ashrafiyeh Kurdish neighbourhood on January 7, 2026, and Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) logo. Graphic: Rudaw. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) says more than 138,000 people displaced from the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in northern Aleppo have been displaced to Afrin, where the foundation has begun providing urgent humanitarian assistance.
Rawaj Haji, a member of the BCF administrative board, told Rudaw on Friday that the foundation has activated large-scale relief efforts in the area. “Our office in Afrin has launched two major projects within Afrin to assist those in the area who are in need of urgent aid,” Haji said.
He added that, based on official figures, tens of thousands of families have returned to the region.
“According to the governor of Aleppo, 27,000 families from those two Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo have returned to Afrin and its surrounding areas,” Haji stated.
Haji stressed that the vast majority of returnees are originally from Afrin.
“Ninty-five percent of those who returned are original inhabitants of Afrin - their homeland. Some have gone to stay with relatives, while those who do not have a place ready have been accommodated in two camps; one holds 70 families and the other 30 families. We are still receiving families now,” he said.
According to the BCF official, dozens of staff members have been mobilized to manage the influx.
“Fifty of our staff members have begun working across three activity zones to welcome those returning," Haji noted, adding that "they are being provided with water and basic necessities. Today, hot meals consisting of rice, chicken, and soup are being prepared for 3,000 people."
He also highlighted medical needs among the displaced. “Among those who arrived in Afrin are wounded individuals. We have sent more than 10 health teams to assist the injured and those in need of medical treatment,” Haji said.
Figures shared with Rudaw show that, as of Thursday evening, 27,750 families have returned to Afrin, totaling 138,750 individuals.
The displacement of Kurdish families from Aleppo follows a large-scale offensive launched by the Syrian Arab Army against the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, now in its fourth day. The Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have continued to repel the attacks. According to official figures, at least 20 people have been killed and 57 others injured so far.
Afrin fell under the control of Turkish-backed Syrian factions in 2018, triggering the displacement of thousands of Kurdish residents to Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods and the nearby Shahba district. Since then, numerous international organizations have documented widespread human rights violations against the remaining Kurdish population in the area.
Following the ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in early December 2024, control of Afrin has largely shifted to General Security forces aligned with Syria’s new leadership.
The latest escalation comes despite a landmark agreement reached in March between the SDF and Damascus that established a nationwide ceasefire. Talks between the SDF and the interim government are ongoing, with the most recent round held on Sunday but failing to produce any tangible outcomes, according to Syrian state media.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment