Update December 4 – Northern Syria Offensive

Highlights - As displaced families continue to pour in to NES, the DAANES estimates that numbers of IDPs will soon reach 120,000. - Critical shortages of essential supplies, food, water, medicines and accommodation for IDPs. - SNA commits…

Interview: NGO officer talks about the situation of IDPs since Turkish invasion

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Washokani IDP camp Interview with Mohammed Baaqi, livelihood officer for the NGO Hevi. The NGO works with IDPs living both in camps and informal settlements. Mohammed Baaqi was interviewed 26 April 2020. My name is Mohammed Baaqi, and…

Translation: Law concerning military service in North and East Syria

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In common with all states and major non-state actors in the region, the Autonomous Administration operates a program of compulsory military service for military-age males. ‘Self-defence duty’ is the name given to military service in North…

Interview: Sozda Ahmed from the Water Bureau for Heseke on water cut-offs, impact on Corona prevention

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Sozda Ahmed is the co-chair of the Water Bureau for Heseke canton. She was interviewed on 8 April 2020. Right now, we are reliant on water being pumped from the pumping station at Allouk, but there is no guarantee as far as this station…

Interview: Workers discuss the economic impact of Corona in NES

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A logistics worker, a day laborer and a housewife from Hemo village, near Qamishlo, talk about the economic hardship they have been facing since the Corona outbreak. They were interviewed 25 May 2020. Suleiman Hussein Suleiman, logistics…
Kongra Star

Explainer: Kongra Star, the Women’s Congress

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Kongra Star, which means “Star Congress” (in reference to the ancient Mesopotamian goddess, Ishtar), is the congress of the women’s movement in North and East Syria. It was first established in 2004 as Yêkitiya Star (Star Union),…

Explainer: TEV-DEM – Unions and Counter-Power

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TEV-DEM was founded in 2011 to build up the democratic system of communes and assemblies. This is the role that it played in the previous system, in the three initial cantons: Afrin, Jazeera and Kobane. In Manbij, Raqqa, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor…

Translation: North and East Syria’s Anti-Terrorism Act used to try local ISIS suspects

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Note: this is the original piece of legislation used to try local ISIS suspects captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces or Asayish (internal security) in North and East Syria. It is based on internationally-recognized Syrian law, but has…

Interview: Adil Haji Hassan, kidnapped and released for ransom by SNA in Sere Kaniye

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Adil Haji Hassan is an IDP who fled from Sere Kaniye during the Turkish invasion in October 2019. He was interviewed in Qamishlo on 8 May 2020. Syrian National Army fighters and Turkish soldiers after the invasion of Afrin, 18 March 2018 My…