The Government and allied forces are continuing to advance further towards the north of Aleppo city, resulting in more families fleeing, many arriving at informal camps at the border with Turkey in search of safety.
Thousands of people are fleeing the conflict which is advancing towards the north of Aleppo city. They are mostly heading towards villages and towns in rural areas close to the border area with Turkey despite the gates to Turkey remaining closed.
Norwegian Refugee Council staff are seeing thousands of people arriving at seven of the main informal camps close to the border. These settlements are already home to some 35,000 displaced Syrians and were already at capacity before the influx. All camp services have been pushed to limits with some taking on 500 new arrivals and others allowing as many as 4,000 entry.
NRC and other humanitarian organizations are working around the clock to deliver tents and first need items to families whom have left behind all but that they could carry with their hands, or in their cars if they were lucky.
“There were rumors started that the conflict was moving closer. Once we heard the bombing and sounds of guns we made the decision to leave our home of 35 years, said Khalil, who fled a week ago from Harditnin which is between Nabul and Azaz towns. Khalil organized for his whole family to come with him, his wife and 5 children, his parents, brothers and their families, a total of 18 people. While he and his wife and children were able to find a host family close to the border, his loved ones are all crammed in a 6 man tent under an olive tree nearby: “There isn’t any room in the border camps and even if there was, my family need some privacy. We just thank God we were lucky to get a tent”.
Many new arrivals will not receive a tent and aid organisations are urgently trying to stockpile supplies as borders are predicted to be closed even to humanitarian trucks due to escalating conflict and huge numbers desperate to run through any open gate to cross into Turkey.
Case study, 5 February 2016
Khalil (not his name) and his family have been displaced from a place close to Harditnin which is between Nabul and Azaz, now taken over by GoS. They fled 6 days ago from their home of 32 years. They knew the fighting was getting closer and could hear the bombings and mortars. They had the fortune of having a pickup truck, fitting Khalil’s wife and 5 children, his mother and father, his 2 brothers and respective families, totaling 18 people. As they were leaving they saw other families leaving in cars and trucks. They also saw others walking/running to reach the neighboring village to get access to transport to get close to the border, carrying what they could. Khalil, his wife and children now live in temporary accommodation with a host family. Nearby a tent meant for 6 people, is now accommodating the other 11 members of his family. They don’t live in the camps but rather outside of the camps between olive trees “We have no privacy in the camp, they are overcrowded”.
We see a huge number of people just sitting in the street wanting to cross into Turkey, they eat their breakfast on the side of the road, then their lunch and dinner. They are just waiting for the Turkish authorities to open the border. “We heard that the Turkish authorities ended up telling them tonight that they wouldn’t open the gate so they should leave. We thank Allah that it hasn’t rained this week, it just gets so cold at night, it’s just so cold. If it rains everyone will be in trouble.
There is a lot of stress amongst the people in the camps at the border, no one knows what will happen. They fear the fighting will reach the borders because they heard it on media. “I wish we could cross” said Khalil.
