Scores Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey Struggle In Cold Without Shelter

While their number only represents one-tenth of the 2 million Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey from the civil war at home, hundreds of thousands of these refugees will cope with winter on the streets of the country without any housing or source of income.

As the Syrian civil war approaches its fourth year, the problems of the Syrian people who took refuge in Turkey in massive numbers have become chronic. Not only in the border towns, but also in İstanbul, the tragic situation of women and children who try to live in makeshift shelters, in tents or around underpasses breaks the heart.

Winter and cold weather only add to the already existing problems of the many Syrians who suffer from a lack of shelter, education and health services and are often hired as cheap labor.

Talking to Today's Zaman about their ordeal, Menaf Ahmad, who was a dentist in his home country of Syria, said his family was not allowed entry to a hospital when his sick father needed treatment because they “looked like garbage.”

His brother Suleiman, who is a computer specialist, asks: Are we going to perish with our children when winter fully arrives? One of the Turkmen refugees, Ali Muhammad, complains about the sexual assault of their women in the refugee camps. Stating that they came to İstanbul to protect their women's honor, Muhammad refuses to go back to the camps.

Giving examples from their daily lives and the struggles they encounter, Suleiman says they get water from gas stations and use the free medication pharmacists give them when their children are sick. However, “We are not able to feed ourselves on a regular basis,” he adds.

While only 200,000 Syrians are hosted in the camps, 1,800,000 of them try to make a living in in cities across Turkey, mostly living in parks, in makeshift shelters or on cardboard boxes.

Approximately 50 Syrians who live under an underpass in the Merter district of İstanbul now struggle with the cold, trying to stay warm by means of blankets. Although they received six tents from a local person who wanted to help them, the tents do not protect them from the cold weather, especially at night. The refugees who have to beg on the streets to survive say they will never go back to the camps.

Syrians who live in the abandoned buildings on Vefa Street in the Fatih district are not doing any better. They have no water or electricity. A mother of three, Fatma Hassan has to look after her children alone. Hassan, who was forced to light a fire in their room to stay warm, thereby putting her and her family in danger, says she has to make her little children beg even though they are sick.

Traditionally, the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality opens the doors of sports complexes in the city to homeless people, especially during extremely cold weather. However, the municipality announced that Syrians would not be admitted to these facilities even though all other citizens will be allowed to starting from Dec. 5. The municipality said the responsibility for Syrians belongs to the National Police Department and the İstanbul Governor's Office.

Selma Tatlı / Metin Ormancı (Cihan/Today's Zaman)