SANLIURFA, Turkey - Syrian refugees who have sought sanctuary in neighboring Turkey say they have endured many financial hardships and look forward to going home, even though the likelihood of that return remains uncertain.
In a narrow alley of the predominantly-Kurdish city of Sanliurfa (Riha) in the southeast of the country, four families, who have fled from the city of Kobane in northern Syria, live together inside an old house.
Frustrated with their situation is 90-year-old Abu Issa, who says he would rather stay hungry in Syria than continue living in exile in Turkey.
"We are in exile. We will find comfort only when we have a bigger space to stay in and have food to eat,” 90-year-old Abu Issa, who has left his home in Kobane, told Rudaw’s Mashallah Dakak on Friday.
“We would like to return to our country if there is stability and we would rather stay hungry. Home is sweet,” he added.
A peaceful uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 11 years ago turned into a full-scale civil war, with the government using deadly force to crush the dissent as protesters demanded Assad’s resignation.
The brutal conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of people, drawn in foreign powers, and displaced more than half of the pre-war population.
“When Kobane is stable, we will return. We must return to our country,” Naze Ali said.
Continuing for over a decade, the conflict has left over 13 million people in need of humanitarian and protection assistance in the country, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. There is a total of 6.6 million registered Syrian refugees worldwide.
Turkey hosts more than 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world.
The UN envoy to Syria on Tuesday urged the Security Council to focus on Syria.
“The current strategic stalemate on the ground and Syria’s absence from the headlines should not mislead anyone into thinking that the conflict needs less attention or fewer resources, or that a political solution is not urgent,” Geir Pedersen said.
