Van and Dersim mobilise for aid for Sinjar


Van and Dersim mobilise for aid for Sinjar –

ANF – Van Metropolitan municipality and Dersim DBP (Party of Democratic Regions) branch and civil society organisations initiated aid campaigns in solidarity with the people of Sinjar and Rojava.

In Van, two different solidarity stands were set up by Van metropolitan Municipality on Cumhuriyet Street.

A press statement was issued to mark the initiation of the aid campaign in front of a presidential election office. HDP Van MP Nazmi Gür and Özdal Üçer, Van İndependent deputy Kemal Aktaş, DBP Van provincial chair Musa İtah, HDP Van provincial chair Harun Okay, co-mayors of Van Metropolitan municipality Bekir Kaya and Hatice Çoban, co-mayors of Edremit Municipality Rojbin Sevil Çetin and Abdülkerim Sayan and representatives of civil society organisations attended the press conference.

Reading the press statement, DBP van provincial chair Musa İtah stated that international powers are just contented with making statements and praying while ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham) gangs are committing massacres in Rojava and Sinjar.

Saying that everyone should however do anything possible in order to stop the tragedy for the sake of humanity, İtah said; “Around 25-30 thousand Yezidi Kurds are facing the risk of starving to death. Besides the ISIS attacks, hundreds of Yezidi people are losing their lives because of hunger and thirst every day.” İtah urged all nations, aid organizations and everyone to display sensitivity and called on the Kurdish people to mobilise for help.

Stating that those who want to display solidarity with the people of Rojava and South Kurdistan could apply to neighborhood assemblies or aid coordination centres, İtah added that tent, food and cleaning material are the most urgent needs.

People in Dersim people who suffered a similar massacre in 1938 have also started an aid campaign in solidarity with the people of Sinjar.

Dersim municipality which initiated the campaign with the support of civil society organizations has announced mobilisation for the collection of immediate aid for the people of Sinjar.

Speaking about the campaign, DBP Dersim co-chair Ergin Doğrul stated that: “We are feeling the pain of Yezidi people deep in our heart because we are also a community socially excluded throughout history not only because of our ethnic identity, but also because of our belief. We know very well the historical codes of Yezidi massacre being committed by ISIS gangs against the Yezidi people today. We will continue to protect and fight for the Yezidi people who are one of the most ancient communities but also a richness of this geography.”

Speaking after, deputy co-mayor Hüseyin Tunç said they as a community having suffered a massacre had an emotional tie with the Yezidis in Sinjar, and underlined that the cases of brutal capture and rape of women in Sinjar are similar to those lived in Dersim massacre.

DİSK (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions) Dersim Branch President Hasan Çiçek also called to the attacks against women, and underlined that PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and YPG (People’s Protection Units) have proved to the world how it must be to protect the aggrieved peoples living in these lands.

 


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