Shafaq News/ As the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s regime’sfall continues to reshape the dynamics of the Syrian crisis, hundreds ofthousands of Syrian refugees in Iraq grapple with uncertainty about theirfuture.
Iraq is currently hosting around 280,000 Syrian refugees,with the majority living in the Kurdistan region. An estimated 122,000 refugeesreside in Erbil Governorate, including both the city and nearby camps. Of thisnumber, 92,000 live in Erbil and its surrounding areas outside of camps, whilethe rest are distributed across various camps in Iraq, such as Domiz, Qushtapa,Basirma, Darashakran, Gozarto, Sharya, Akre, Makhmour, and Al-Sulaymaniyah.
In the camps, refugees face severe challenges, includinglimited resources and basic services, which make their daily lives increasinglydifficult in an already complex and unstable environment.
Hevi, a refugee residing in the Domiz camp in southernDuhok, told Shafaq News, "Most Syrians are happy about the fall of Basharal-Assad's regime, but it's still unclear how the situation in Syria willunfold."
Ahmed Jaber, a refugee from Afrin, spoke of the challengesthey face, saying, "Afrin currently lacks a unified authority, and thesecurity situation is unstable. Therefore, returning is not possible at themoment."
Speaking to Shafaq News, Abbas Hussein, a refugee fromHasakah expressed his desire to return home after 11 years in exile, pointingout the inadequate services in the camps. "The international organizationsoffer little support. The only help we get comes from the Kurdistan RegionalGovernment."
These statements reflect the ongoing struggle of Syrianrefugees, caught between hope for a return to their homes and fears of theuncertain situation in Syria.
While international efforts to resolve the Syrian crisispolitically continue, the lack of tangible progress has left refugeesdisillusioned and increasingly frustrated.
Tensions in northern Syria have escalated since the fall ofBashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8. On Sunday, a source from the GlobalCoalition revealed that the United States has redeployed dozens of troops fromIraq to Syria to bolster security at its bases and facilities.
Meanwhile, Turkey has intensified its military operationsagainst the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which it considers linked to thePKK, a group designated as terrorist by Ankara. These operations are oftencarried out in coordination with the Syrian National Army (SNA).
Over the past three days, Israel has escalated its militaryactivities in Syria's southern provinces of Daraa and Quneitra amidst anapparent absence of a Syrian government response.
Israeli media also reported that the Israeli military hasestablished camps on Mount Hermon. These developments follow the Israeli army'sdestruction of Syria’s air, naval, intelligence, and scientific researchcapabilities.