Aid delivery reaches civilians displaced from Afrin
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A convoy of aid delivery has reached families displaced from the Kurdish canton of Afrin to the town of Tal Rifaat, where the situation is desperate.
“The 14-truck convoy includes 25 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid. Distribution of bread, blankets, and bottles of water already started,” Ingy Sedky, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday, AFP reported.
The aid delivery is a joint ICRC and Syrian Red Crescent effort.
Some 98,000 people, mainly women, children, and the elderly, have been displaced from Afrin, the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) stated on Monday.
The majority of them, 75,000, have taken shelter in Tal Rifaat, “putting a strain on host communities, which are already overwhelmed,” OCHA stated, noting that all 16 schools in the town are being used to shelter displaced families, preventing classes from being held.
Serious gaps in water and hygiene resources are “putting the displaced population at risk of contracting different diseases,” according to OCHA, which notes that Tal Rifaat has limited health services.
The head of the ICRC, Peter Maurer, has warned that the situation inside Afrin is “complex and complicated,” and called for his organization to be granted access to the canton.
The Turkish Red Crescent has been providing aid such as food and blankets to the population of Afrin throughout the offensive, and “do not discriminate between people based on their background or appearance,” General Manager Ibrahim Altan told Anadolu Agency.
Though the Turkish Red Crescent logistically could be well-placed to move into Afrin to provide aid, Maurer said on Monday they would likely not be welcome by the Kurdish populace.
"The credibility of a Turkish Red Crescent working in Afrin with the Kurdish population is close to zero," Maurer explained, calling for the ICRC to be given access.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson hit back at Maurer, saying his statements were "divorced from the truth."
Turkey's Red Crescent's work has been described as "exemplary by the United Nations and the international community since the beginning of the Syrian crisis," Hami Aksoy said, Anadolu Agency reported.
After taking control of Afrin city, Syrian militias backed by Turkey pulled down a statue of Kawa the Blacksmith, a historic figure that has become a symbol of Kurdish resistance, and began looting homes and businesses.
An AFP photographer covering the offensive told CNN he had never seen such pillaging.
"They are looting everything; goods, animals, goats, even pigeons," said Bulent Kilic. "I've been in war zones for many years now. Two, three guys looting, it happens. I didn't even take much notice at first. But then I saw that they were in such a hurry to take everything from this city."
Turkey’s leadership have condemned the looting and vowed to take action.
“We are sensitive to looting or inhuman treatment, we will not allow them [in Afrin],” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a press conference in Ankara on Tuesday, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Though Afrin city is largely under Turkish control, Kurdish forces insist their resistance continues and have vowed to launch a guerilla campaign to put back the “invasion.”
Kurdish YPG and YPJ forces carried out several operations against Turkish forces and Syrian militias in the past 24 hours, killing 65 and wounding dozens more, Abdulkarim Omar, a Rojava official, stated on Tuesday evening.
“The 14-truck convoy includes 25 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid. Distribution of bread, blankets, and bottles of water already started,” Ingy Sedky, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday, AFP reported.
The aid delivery is a joint ICRC and Syrian Red Crescent effort.
Some 98,000 people, mainly women, children, and the elderly, have been displaced from Afrin, the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) stated on Monday.
The majority of them, 75,000, have taken shelter in Tal Rifaat, “putting a strain on host communities, which are already overwhelmed,” OCHA stated, noting that all 16 schools in the town are being used to shelter displaced families, preventing classes from being held.
Serious gaps in water and hygiene resources are “putting the displaced population at risk of contracting different diseases,” according to OCHA, which notes that Tal Rifaat has limited health services.
The head of the ICRC, Peter Maurer, has warned that the situation inside Afrin is “complex and complicated,” and called for his organization to be granted access to the canton.
The Turkish Red Crescent has been providing aid such as food and blankets to the population of Afrin throughout the offensive, and “do not discriminate between people based on their background or appearance,” General Manager Ibrahim Altan told Anadolu Agency.
Though the Turkish Red Crescent logistically could be well-placed to move into Afrin to provide aid, Maurer said on Monday they would likely not be welcome by the Kurdish populace.
"The credibility of a Turkish Red Crescent working in Afrin with the Kurdish population is close to zero," Maurer explained, calling for the ICRC to be given access.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson hit back at Maurer, saying his statements were "divorced from the truth."
Turkey's Red Crescent's work has been described as "exemplary by the United Nations and the international community since the beginning of the Syrian crisis," Hami Aksoy said, Anadolu Agency reported.
After taking control of Afrin city, Syrian militias backed by Turkey pulled down a statue of Kawa the Blacksmith, a historic figure that has become a symbol of Kurdish resistance, and began looting homes and businesses.
An AFP photographer covering the offensive told CNN he had never seen such pillaging.
"They are looting everything; goods, animals, goats, even pigeons," said Bulent Kilic. "I've been in war zones for many years now. Two, three guys looting, it happens. I didn't even take much notice at first. But then I saw that they were in such a hurry to take everything from this city."
Turkey’s leadership have condemned the looting and vowed to take action.
“We are sensitive to looting or inhuman treatment, we will not allow them [in Afrin],” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a press conference in Ankara on Tuesday, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Though Afrin city is largely under Turkish control, Kurdish forces insist their resistance continues and have vowed to launch a guerilla campaign to put back the “invasion.”
Kurdish YPG and YPJ forces carried out several operations against Turkish forces and Syrian militias in the past 24 hours, killing 65 and wounding dozens more, Abdulkarim Omar, a Rojava official, stated on Tuesday evening.