Displaced Syrian Kurds rally for return home in Al-Hasakah

Shafaq News- Al-Hasakah

Kurdish residents from the Syrian city of Ras Al-Ain staged a protest outside the Al-Hasakah province building on Sunday, calling for their swift return to their hometown.

Displaced resident Shireen Hassan told Shafaq News that families can no longer endure life in displacement camps. "We have lived in difficult conditions for years while strangers occupy our homes. We want our case to be treated as a humanitarian issue, away from political considerations."

Al-Hasakah Governor Abdul Rahman Mustafa told Shafaq News that the government and relevant authorities are continuing efforts to create the conditions necessary for the coming back of displaced families, noting that several challenges remain, including clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance, as well as resolving the situation of families living in the area.

Earlier this year, several displaced returned to areas across northern Syria, particularly Afrin.

Ras Al-Ain in northeastern Syria fell under the control of Turkish-backed Syrian factions during Operation Peace Spring in 2019. Recent agreements between Damascus and Kurdish authorities include provisions on the return of displaced residents, but implementation has yet to enable many families from the city to go back home.

Read more: Kurds in Syria: From marginalization to a defining political force