Omar Al-Shimali, Baladi News, Aleppo
The city of Manbij has sheltered thousands of displaced people from all Syrian governorates, especially the cities of Homs, Aleppo, and Al-Safira. The number of the displaced families reached 40 thousand, the most of which live in the city and the rest in the countryside, according to the Syrian Red Crescent in the city.
The population of the city of Manbij along with its countryside was more than 500 thousand away from the displaced before the advancement of "Syrian Democratic Forces". Hundreds of civilians used to leave the city every day because of the injustice of "ISIS" and the suffocating restrictions imposed on the inhabitants who headed mostly to the northern countryside of Aleppo.
The Local Council of the city of Manbij in Azaz is hosting the displaced in temporary sheltering centers with the help of other councils and organizations, but due to the advancement of ISIS lately and entering the camps in the northern countryside of Aleppo along with the huge displacement movements there is no longer a safe place to host them.
The situation got worse with the advancement of "SDF" supported by coalition air force in the eastern and southern countryside of Manbij and their advancement towards the city which is witnessing mass displacements toward the villages of the western countryside of Manbij after ISIS gave them the permission to leave.
According to some residents of the villages controlled by "SDF", Kurdish forces have prevented the families of the village of "Al-Kara'a" from going back to their homes and some others were killed in other villages.
"Syrian Democratic Forces" have reached on Tuesday the outskirts of the city from three sides, the Southern, Easters and Northern which means that the city with its residents are almost under besiegement, as well as cutting the road connecting Manbij and Jarabulus and the road of Manbij-Al-Khafseh, which is still under the control of ISIS.
It's expected that the real battel will be inside the city, which threatens tens of thousands of inhabitants who were stranded and isolated from the outside world after ISIS had shut down all internet cafes and confiscated satellites. what's more worse is that SDF forces are promoting that the population is 50 thousand people, which reflects a premeditated intention to kill and displace the inhabitants.
This is what was expressed by the head of the information office in the local council in Manbij, Mr. Jasim by saying: "our people can't forget what happened in Tal Abiad and its surrounding where 120 thousand families of Arab had been displaced which is documented to the United Nations".
It's noteworthy that more than 90%of Manbij inhabitants are of Arab and the rest are divided among Kurds, Turkmen and Circassians.