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Those who have not left Kobanê
ANF/ SEDAT SUR - KOBANÊ
02.12.2014 11:30:30
Every day the epic resistance in Kobanê against ISIS attacks is
growing. The remaining civilian population of the city is also
continuing to refuse to leave, despite the war and the onset of winter.
YPG/YPJ fighters also see the needs and security of the civilians before
their own.
The Kobanê Municipality collects refuse every day. Apart from this, Municipality workers also take food and water provided by the YPG/YPJ for civilians. They also repair electric generators and transport diesel for heaters and generators.
There are shops that carry out repairs on YPG/YPJ vehicles and provide tyres. The workers in these shops expend lots of energy.
Yusuf Elî Etto and his wife Feride Ömer did not leave Kobanê even in the worst days of the fighting. They are continuing to feed their many sheep. Yusuf Etto says: “our homeland is sweet, we will not leave.” The elderly couple complain they do not have enough food for their sheep. Their 5 children are also with them. While we are speaking to them, a YPJ fighter notices that Feride does not have any socks and leaves, before coming back with a pair for her. Feride tries to refuse, saying to the YPJ fighter that she will need the socks. She adds: ''We have not left Kobanê because where the YPG are is safe.”
The first thing people mention is the attack by ISIS from Turkey on 29 November. The civilians of Kobanê are angry with Turkey for opening the gate to ISIS. They say the Turkish state attempted a massacre by means of ISIS.
The white stork statue and ''Qada Aşîti'' sign in Aşîti (Peace) Square are still upright, as if they are resisting the war.
And being a child in Kobanê now means going barefoot and playing between the shells. They make the victory sign in their thin clothes and with sandals on their feet. When we ask them whether they can play, they reply that they take a break when mortars are fired, then wait until the mortars stop before returning to their games.
On almost every street you can see unexploded mortar shells.
Bomb laden vehicles exploded by ISIS gangs and mortars have caused great damage in the city.
The main concern of civilians living in the western part of the city is security. Mortars fired by ISIS have damaged houses. Mothers say they are worried about their children. There are of course serious shortages of medicine, food and clothing. But the people of Kobanê talk of the self-sacrifice of the YPG/YPJ fighters, saying: “We cannot complain when we see the sacrifices they make and they do all they can for us. A woman by the name of Emine Şêxo said the YPG members distributed aid sent to them to civilians before looking after themselves. If there’s not enough for them they make do. So we don’t want to mention our shortages. Our only wish is that the ISIS gangs be cleansed from Kobanê and that there is an end to the mortar fire targeting us and our children.”
The Kobanê Municipality collects refuse every day. Apart from this, Municipality workers also take food and water provided by the YPG/YPJ for civilians. They also repair electric generators and transport diesel for heaters and generators.
There are shops that carry out repairs on YPG/YPJ vehicles and provide tyres. The workers in these shops expend lots of energy.
Yusuf Elî Etto and his wife Feride Ömer did not leave Kobanê even in the worst days of the fighting. They are continuing to feed their many sheep. Yusuf Etto says: “our homeland is sweet, we will not leave.” The elderly couple complain they do not have enough food for their sheep. Their 5 children are also with them. While we are speaking to them, a YPJ fighter notices that Feride does not have any socks and leaves, before coming back with a pair for her. Feride tries to refuse, saying to the YPJ fighter that she will need the socks. She adds: ''We have not left Kobanê because where the YPG are is safe.”
The first thing people mention is the attack by ISIS from Turkey on 29 November. The civilians of Kobanê are angry with Turkey for opening the gate to ISIS. They say the Turkish state attempted a massacre by means of ISIS.
The white stork statue and ''Qada Aşîti'' sign in Aşîti (Peace) Square are still upright, as if they are resisting the war.
And being a child in Kobanê now means going barefoot and playing between the shells. They make the victory sign in their thin clothes and with sandals on their feet. When we ask them whether they can play, they reply that they take a break when mortars are fired, then wait until the mortars stop before returning to their games.
On almost every street you can see unexploded mortar shells.
Bomb laden vehicles exploded by ISIS gangs and mortars have caused great damage in the city.
The main concern of civilians living in the western part of the city is security. Mortars fired by ISIS have damaged houses. Mothers say they are worried about their children. There are of course serious shortages of medicine, food and clothing. But the people of Kobanê talk of the self-sacrifice of the YPG/YPJ fighters, saying: “We cannot complain when we see the sacrifices they make and they do all they can for us. A woman by the name of Emine Şêxo said the YPG members distributed aid sent to them to civilians before looking after themselves. If there’s not enough for them they make do. So we don’t want to mention our shortages. Our only wish is that the ISIS gangs be cleansed from Kobanê and that there is an end to the mortar fire targeting us and our children.”
