The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

More than 2500 people displaced during the past few hours from Afrin city in conjunction with the continuation of the tragic conditions witnessed in the city

Aleppo Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the displacement of more than 2500 citizens since yesterday after the midnight, from Afrin city towards the towns of Nubl and Al-Zahraa and the surrounding agricultural lands controlled by militiamen loyal to the regime forces in the north of Aleppo, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory; hundreds of families displaced last night and after the midnight of Thursday – Friday, from Afrin city by cars and busses, through Jabal Al-Ahlam Road to the towns of Nubl and Al-Zahraa and the surrounding agricultural lands, in conjunction with shelling by the Turkish forces targeting Afrin city, amid violent clashes between the Turkish forces and the rebel and Islamic factions against the YPG and the Self-Defense Forces, in areas in the north-western countryside of Afrin city, amid advancement by the Turkish forces in Raju countryside within their attempts to clamp down on Afrin city and the rest areas that are still under the control of the Kurdish forces even more, while the ongoing shelling on Afrin city by the Turkish forces and warplanes, resulted in the fall of more wounded, also the city is still witnessing catastrophic humanitarian conditions, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday the 15th of March 2018, that it monitored the ongoing displacement of thousands of citizens from Afrin city towards the surrounding deserts and the towns of Al-Nubol Al-Zahraa in the northern countryside of Aleppo, which is controlled by militants loyal to the regime forces, and several reliable sources told the SOHR that thousands of citizens displaced over the recent hours from the city, while the Turkish warplanes are still flying and shelling the areas of Afrin city and its surrounding, in an attempt to secure the advancement of the forces and force the civilians to get out of the city in order to launch an offensive on the city, which coincides with artillery and aerial Turkish shelling over the past 24 hours leaving 12 martyrs and more than 60 injured, amid ongoing displacement.

This large displacement included more than 30 thousand civilians since day before yesterday, and it was accompanied by fears of hundreds of thousands civilians exist in the city of Afrin and nearby villages, amid calls by these civilians through the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights to the international community to move to act against the Turkish massacres that began on Wednesday the 14th of March 2018, through heavy aerial and ground shelling on the city of Afrin which witness the interruption of water, electricity and communications, by the Turkish forces for the 10th consecutive day, following their control over Midanki Dam on Midanki Lake in the northern countryside of Afrin city, and the interruption of water, electricity and communications is coincided with extreme shortage of flour and fuel in Afrin area, where the lines of citizens are ongoing before the only bakery remained in the city of Afrin, to receive bread which the city lacks.

These tragic humanitarian situations forces citizens from Afrin city and its related villages, to displace to the towns of Nubl and Al-Zahraa through walking for long distances on foot, to reach areas in both towns located in the northern countryside of Aleppo, where citizens confirmed to the SOHR that the Turkish forces tend to each move by citizens coming out from Afrin city and its related villages of about 90 villages and one town, towards the towns of Nubl and Al-Zahraa and prevent them to come out, in an attempt to force them to flee towards the controlled areas of the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation in Afrin countryside.