On September 15, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) started attacking the Kobanê Canton in Rojava once again, in a manner much more violent than the previous attacks. As a consequence, thousands of people had to flee to the north of the border. People from Kobanê initially moved to the Suruç district of Şanlıurfa, and then they scattered around the other cities in Turkey. They are still struggling for survival in those places. The total number of people from Kobanê in Turkey has reached approximately 200,000, with 68,562 of them living in Suruç only.
The number in all of Urfa is around 126,000. Merely 5,000 people from Kobanê live in the 35,000-person capacity camp built by AFAD (The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of the Turkish Republic). AFAD did not manage to construct this camp until the fourth month had passed since the arrival of the population from Kobanê. The temporary residences they had built previously also housed only 7000 people. On the other hand, there are more than 15,000 people from Kobanê living in the 6 camps constructed by the Suruç Municipality.
Moreover, those living in the neighborhoods of Suruç and in the villages surrounding the town (within the larger Suruç district), as well as in the other districts of Urfa and other parts of Turkey receive very limited support from AFAD. Outside of these two AFAD camps, the only support coming from the Turkish Red Crescent for the people from Kobanê has been the distribution of soup and diapers in the camps run by the Suruç Municipality. Since The United Nations does not take into account institutions or initiatives other than the Suruç District Governorship and AFAD while organizing its distributions and activities for families, the assistance they provide ends up not reach the majority of the people from Kobanê.
CONTENTS OF REPORT
1. Preface – 3
2. General Data on the Population from Shingal and Kobanê in Turkey – 5
3. The General Situation of the Camps – 9
4. Neighborhoods and Villages – 11
5. Various Issues Related to the Camps, Neighborhoods and Villages – 14
a. Nutrition – 14
b. Health – 16
c. Water Sanitation and Hygiene – 18
d. Education – 19
e. Women’s Activities – 19
f. Art & Cultural Facilities – 20
g. Psychosocial Activities – 21
h. Distribution of Materials – 21
6. Proposals for Overcoming Deficiencies – 22
7. Recommendations for AFAD – 23
