VAN – The whereabouts of the 13 immigrant who lost their lives by freezing after they were lost in the Sarıçimen Neighbourhood of Van’s ÇAldıran district is still not known. Mihemmed Sheıkh Nebi, the uncle of Immigrant Sheıkh Abdulrahman Abdo, said that the authorities are not sharing information with them.
13 ARE MISSING AMONG A GROUP OF 150 IMMIGRANTS
It was stated that 10 were from Afghanistan and 3 were from Kobanê out of 13 people who are still missing and their whereabouts remains unknown. 3 of the missing refugees, who are from Kobanê, are reported to be Sheıkh Abdulrahman Abdo and Hendreen İbish couple and Azad Hemze. The families of the immigrant from Kobanê, who are all relatives, applied to a number of institutions to get information about the whereabouts of their children. Sheikh Abdulrahman Abdo's uncle Mihemmed Sheıkh Nebi spoke to the Mesopotamian Agency (MA) about the course of events. He said that they received the news 3 days ago, but despite all this time, they could not reach to any information about their nephews. Sheikh Nebi, who explained that they were informed that a group of 150 people came from Iran, said that his nephews were trying to move from Hewler to Iran and then to Van.
‘IT IS TOLD THAT 13 PEOPLE HAVE DIED’
Stating that they have been stuck in Bitlis for 3 days due to the snowfall, Sheıkh Nebi explained that they have not received any information regarding to the 13 missing people from the authorities neither in Iran nor in Turkey. Sheıkh Nebi said, “We have been waiting for news from our relatives for days. We have been trying to get information from the both states for days, but nobody has shared any information with us. One of our relatives who called us from Iran said and said that 13 people died, but we don't know how accurate this information is. Another immigrant who was in the same group told us that they have passed to Turkey, but they have no contact with the 13 people so far. This is the only information we could have obtained until now. So there is also a possibility that these people might have been captured by soldiers of Iran, we don’t know that. aid they, but they can not establish contact with 13 other people from that group now Turkey. We do not currently have any other information. In other words, we do not know that.”
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION: ‘WE INVITE THE AUTHORITIES TO ACT RESPONSIBLE’
Human Rights Association (IHD) Van Branch President Murat Melet told; " In the borderline of Turkey-Iran refugees have been losing their lives for the last 3 years due toclimatic conditions and intensive security measures. The reason for the refugee density is war. Migration will continue as long as wars do not stop. People have to become refugees for compulsory reasons. The bodies of the people who have been under the snow for days should be reached, whether dead or alive. I invite all those responsible to act responsible.”
50 REFUGEES HAVE BEEN FROZEN TO DEATH
In the Van city, which is among the first cities that refugees take shelter, thousands of immigrant entries are recorded each year. The city, where thousands of immigrants came from many countries, especially Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, have also turned into a refugee cemetery. According to the data; alone in 2019 alone, more than 50 thousand refugees were caught on the border trying to enter the city. More than one hundred refugee deaths were recorded during the same year. As a result of the melting of snow in the last spring, approximately 50 death bodies of refugees were found within the boundaries of Özalp, Saray and Çaldıran districts.
MA / Adnan Bilen