Seeking safety, Syrians pile up in shared flats in Afrin

Members of seven displaced Syrian families gather in an apartment in the Kurdish Syrian town of Afrin on February 1, 2018 where they are all taking shelter after fleeing from a three-week assault by Turkey and allied Syrian rebels on towns and villages along the border in northern Syria. (AFP)

AFRIN, Syria: Day and night, the members of seven displaced families file in and out of the single bathroom and kitchen they share in a cramped apartment in the Syrian town of Afrin.
Dozens of families have flooded the town to escape a three-week assault by Turkey and allied Syrian rebels on towns and villages along the border.
Among them is Amuna Hassan鈥檚 family.
鈥淲e sleep sitting up. What kind of sleep is that? How are we supposed to fit? Can you imagine anything worse than that?鈥� rants the elderly Hassan, a cigarette in hand.
鈥淢aybe a bomb will go off and we鈥檒l all just die together.鈥�
Hassan, her children, and their families fled Jandairis, a border town southwest of Afrin, as Turkish bombardment of the area ramped up.
鈥淲e fled under fire. It was raining, people were crying and screaming. We fled from death,鈥� she says.
They settled in a small apartment with a half-dozen other families. Behind her, women and children in bright, patterned clothes sat on a row of cushions.
A baby wailed uncontrollably as an elderly man lay splayed out on a mattress, unfazed by the chaos.
鈥淭he bathroom doesn鈥檛 work. We haven鈥檛 bathed in 20 days, but we just want food to eat 鈥� you think we鈥檙e thinking about showers?鈥� says Hassan, her hair covered in a grey scarf with violet polka dots.
鈥淗ungry, thirsty, at least we were at home. Now look where we are 鈥� all these people in just three rooms.鈥�
Turkey and allied Syrian rebels launched their offensive on January 20 to fight the Kurdish People鈥檚 Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a 鈥渢error鈥� group.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor says nearly 70 civilians have died in the assault, but Turkey says it is doing everything in its power to prevent civilian casualties.
Most of the bombardment has hit border towns and villages, forcing residents to flee inland to the town of Afrin and board up with relatives.
The United Nations estimates that between 15,000 and 30,000 have been displaced by the Turkish-led offensive to other parts of Afrin district.
Local authorities have sealed off access routes to other parts of Syria, the UN has said.
Abdel Hajj Ahmad and his 12-member family left everything behind in their native village of Sheikh Mohamed, northwest of Afrin town.
鈥淚t was tragic. There were no cars on the road, so we walked with our bags until we found a car willing to drive us,鈥� the 49-year-old recalls.
Once in Afrin, they settled in a relative鈥檚 modest apartment 鈥� already overflowing with other displaced families.
鈥淲e鈥檙e nine families. Nearly 40 people sharing one kitchen and one bathroom! Can you imagine?鈥� says Ahmad.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time we understand what displaced life is,鈥� he adds.

Overnight, the number of people in Naziliya Balo鈥檚 household tripled.
鈥淢y uncle鈥檚 family was displaced and they came to stay with us. Three families from Qarnah,鈥� a village north of Afrin, says the 28-year-old.
Her 10-member family is now hosting another 20 guests.
鈥淲e鈥檙e helping each other out. They can鈥檛 give us much,鈥� admits Balo.
鈥淲e鈥檙e happy that they came to us, but it鈥檚 so sad that they had to leave their houses and come here.鈥�
As the Turkish-led offensive heads into its fourth week, Balo says all of Afrin鈥檚 residents should mobilize to help those displaced.
鈥淭here are a lot of tragedies and I get really sad about them. We鈥檒l open our house to everyone. Whoever鈥檚 in need, we鈥檒l help them.鈥�
More than six million people have been displaced internally across Syria since its civil war erupted in 2011, many of them more than once.
Abdin Kashad, 30, fled the border village of Qura Baba with his five family members.
鈥淭here was artillery fire so we went to the town of Rajo, then they hit Rajo with air strikes so we came to Afrin,鈥� he explains in an exhausted monotone.
Kashad is happy to be safe in Afrin, but he and dozens of other displaced are packed tight into a single apartment.
Shoes of all sizes are piled up at the door and lines of washing criss-cross the courtyard.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no bathroom here or anything, no place for the kids to play,鈥� Kashad tells AFP.
鈥淲e just want the bombing and air strikes to stop so we can go home.鈥�