Northern Syria | Action Group
“We are dying slowly here.” With these painful words, the residents of the Deir Ballut camp for Palestinian and Syrian refugees in the Afrin countryside, northern Syria, issue a desperate appeal to the world. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated to an unprecedented level due to the ongoing suspension of aid and the scarcity of food and medicine, amidst the great difficulties of returning to their destroyed homes.
After years of forced displacement and living in tents and makeshift housing lacking the most basic necessities of life, thousands of civilians in this stricken camp find themselves facing a real danger that threatens their lives and dignity. Local sources and firsthand accounts from inside the camp confirm that the humanitarian situation has reached a critical state.
Camp residents describe dire conditions, with families suffering from extreme poverty and a severe shortage of basic food supplies, including bread, the distribution of which was stopped long ago by charities.
The bitter cold and dilapidated tents exacerbate their tragedy, as the dilapidated tents are unable to protect the displaced from the bitter cold and heavy rains, not to mention the heat of the sun, which turns the displaced’s tents into flames.
“We have nothing left to lose,” a camp resident said in a moving message sent to the Action group. “We have lost our homes, our loved ones, and our dignity. Now we are slowly dying here, and no one is paying attention. All we can do is scream at the top of our voices, hoping a global conscience will wake up and save us from this hell.”
Another displaced person in the camp appealed to journalists Hadi Abdullah and Jamil Al-Hassan to visit the camp and offer a helping hand to its people. The residents also issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, international organizations, governments, and people of conscience everywhere, demanding immediate action to save them. They called for:
Ӣ Reactivating urgent and sustainable humanitarian aid to the camp.
Ӣ Providing food, medicine, and basic necessities immediately and regularly.
Ӣ Providing urgent medical support to the sick and wounded.
Ӣ Providing heating, winter clothing, and blankets to combat the cold winter.
Ӣ Finding urgent solutions to the situation of the displaced and guaranteeing their right to a dignified and safe life.
In the Deir Ballut and Al-Muhammadiyah camps in northern Syria, before the fall of the Syrian regime, more than 250 Palestinian families lived in dilapidated tents. They suffered from a severe shortage of basic necessities, and UNRWA’s failure to fulfill its responsibilities towards them. They complained of the poor provision of humanitarian aid.
Unofficial statistics indicate that 1,488 Palestinian refugees reside in three main areas in the north: Idlib and its countryside, Afrin (Olive Branch), and the northern Aleppo countryside (Euphrates Shield).