Fourth convoy of about 1,200 Afrin families leaves al-Hasakah

Return convoy

A new convoy of about 1,200 families from Afrin departed al-Hasakah on May 9, heading back to villages and towns in the Afrin area of Aleppo countryside. Preparations began Friday evening and the departure was overseen by the presidential team and Internal Security Forces in al-Hasakah and Aleppo, with coordination from the Syrian Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, Social Affairs, the Syrian Civil Defense and other local authorities. Aleppo Governorate said homeowners will return directly to their properties while housing is being arranged for those who lost homes or have no place to stay; some vacant houses previously built with Turkish support are being used to shelter returning families.

Background and wider process

This is the fourth organized return group following earlier convoys on March 9 (about 400 families), April 4 (nearly 200 families) and April 14. The movements form part of implementing the January 2026 agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF to facilitate the return of displaced people and coordinate administrative and security arrangements in northeastern Syria. The displacement of Afrin residents traces back to Turkey’s 2018 Operation Olive Branch and subsequent control of Afrin, which led many, particularly from the Kurdish community, to settle in camps and towns across northeastern Syria under difficult conditions, prompting ongoing return efforts. as reported by Enab Baladi