Hikmet Tunç/Dilan Babat

VAN - As the attacks on Afrin, where is considered as a safe zone for war victims, are going on, the Syrian fled from civil war in Syria to Turkey continue to live under “unsecured” conditions. “We fled from war but now we are fighting hunger and disease,” said Syrian Zeynep fighting poverty and marginalization.

In Afrin, where Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen, Alevi peoples have taken shelter as a safe zone to escape from the destruction of war, many civilians have been killed due to Turkish attacks. As Turkey have continued its attacks on Afrin considered as safe area for civilians, the Syrian people fled from civil war in Syria and taking refuge in Turkey try to hold on to life under “unsecured” conditions.

We visited the Syrian people living in damaged and abandoned five-story building due to earthquake took place in Van province six years ago. There is nothing in the apartment except for an old table and stove.

‘We have no guarantee’

We began to talk to 30-year-old Zeynep Mıhemmed and children trying to get warmer around the stove. Zeynep said she had fled from Syria after Daesh attacked Aleppo. Stating that she has lived in Van for three years, Zeynep has five children and her sister has four. Zeynep said they had managed to flee from war and she added, “We are fighting hunger and disease here. We face marginalization when we go out. We have no guarantee.”

‘We want to belong to somewhere’

Zeynep talked about what they face and need as follows; “We pay 400 (Turkish Lira) for this flat. My husband working for a tea house earns 25 Lira per day. We use plastic boxes in garbage to get warm. We try to make our living with salary of my husband. We are 12 people and we try to get warm under blankets. I have a new born baby but we cannot meet our children’s needs. We try to maintain our lives in damaged building. We managed to escape from the war as alive but now we are struggle for our lives. Our children are hungry and there is no job for us. We want to belong to somewhere.”