Kobane refugees prepare make-shift homes for winter

World Today

More than 130,000 Syrian Kurds have fled Kobane for Turkey since Islamic militants started advancing on the city in mid-September. However, with the approach of winter, their situation is becoming more dire as the temperatures drop. CCTV America’s Natalie Carney reports.

As the fighting across the border continues unabated, more camps are being built in Suruc, a rural district of Sanliurfa Province in Turkey. In addition to the winter weather, NGOs are also making contingency plans if all 400,000 inhabitants of Kobane flee the intensified fighting.

The number of Syrian refugees in Suruc is now more than that of the city’s own population. Several refugee agencies said they can’t build the camps fast enough. People have arrived so quickly that many of the make-shift camps are not properly equipped for freezing temperatures.

“Now we are preparing the camps for winter. We are putting wood on the ground, under the carpets to make it higher so the water can’t reach it. We are also preparing stoves for the camps. All we are doing now is preparing for the winter,” said Hajer Ozdimir from the Suruc Municipality.

Those outside the camps, are hoping the generosity of the people of Suruc will continue.