Röda Korset har för första gången sedan Turkiet inledde sin offensiv mot den kurdstyrda enklaven Afrin i nordöstra Syrien nått fram med nödhjälp. (RÖDA KORSET)

Första hjälpkonvojerna har nått drabbade i Afrin

En konvoj med nödhjälp har tagit sig in i den kurdstyrda enklaven Afrin i nordöstra Syrien. Det är den första som når fram sedan Turkiet inledde sin offensiv i området, rapporterar AFP.

Den humanitära situationen i regionen är svår, enligt Röda Korset. Organisationen som arbetar under samma paraply som Röda Halvmånen i Syrien har kört in 29 lastbilar i området med sammanlagt 430 ton förnödenheter. Det handlar om rent vatten, mat och mediciner.

– Det är ett område som inte har fått nödhjälp på lång tid. Under flera månader har vi inte kunna komma in. Hela området präglas av strider så det är många människor som är i behov av hjälp, säger Fredrik Hammarbäck, pressansvarig vid Röda Korset Sverige, till TT.

Över 30 000 människor har hittills flytt striderna i området, enligt FN.

bakgrund
 
Turkiets militärinsats i Afrin
Wikipedia (en)
In January 2018, the Turkish military began an operation in the Kurdish-controlled Afrin District and the Tell Rifaat Subdistrict in Northern Syria. Turkey code-named the operation as Operation Olive Branch (Turkish: Zeytin Dalı Harekâtı). The offensive is against the Kurdish-led Democratic Union Party in Syria (PYD), its armed wing People's Protection Units (YPG), and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions surrounding the Syrian city of Afrin. Turkey also says it is fighting ISIL, though ISIL does not exist in Afrin. Afrin and the surrounding area is claimed by the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria as Afrin Canton, part of its Afrin Region. It is the first major military operation by Turkey in Syria since Operation Euphrates Shield. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated that the operation in Afrin would be followed by a push in the northern town of Manbij, which the US-backed Kurdish forces captured from ISIL in 2016. American generals said they will respond "aggressively" if such a provocation is made against them. The YPG announced that it would protect the people of Afrin and respond to the Turkish army. Between 145 and 200 civilians have been reported killed and at least 16,000 civilians have been displaced since the operation started. Other war crime allegations include the mutilation of female corpses by TFSA fighters, the killing of civilians due to indiscriminate shelling by Turkish forces, the use of chemical gas by the Turkish army, and the indiscriminate shooting of refugees fleeing from the conflict area into Turkey by Turkish border guards. Erdoğan has threatened there will be a "heavy price" for those who have protested against the military offensive. Hundreds of individuals have been arrested for demonstrating against the operation. Over 800 social media users and nearly 100 politicians and journalists have been arrested for criticizing the operation. Turkish authorities have also arrested numerous leaders and high-ranking members of pro-Kurdish and left-wing political parties.
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