Andoni Lubaki

Photo Reporter

andonilubaki.com

Rojava Refugees Portraits

Location: Bilbao, Spain

Nationality: Spanish

Biography: Basque - Abkhazian photographer. Bilbao - Sukhumi - Tinduf

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Zekia Halaf, 36, left her village in Serekaniye area in October 9, just when Turkey launched its offensive over the area. She´s lost four brothers in the Syrian war, two fighting within the Syrian Army ranks against Jabhat al Nusra and the other two fighting alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces. The last one was killed in a drone attack last October. Zekia is one among approximately 200 IDPs. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Hadja Mohamed (age not disclosed) was forced to flee during the attack of her village by Turkish proxies. This mother of three says they´ll never go back home. Former neighbours told her that her house was looted and destroyed by Islamist militias. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Mustafa Bakir, 25, could only escape thanks to the help of fellow villagers in Serekaniye. He´s on a wheelchair and relies fully on his mother. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Mohamed Bakir, 17, says he plays videogames and smokes while he waits for schools to reopen. His father bribed militiamen in Serekaniye so he could go back home and retrieve a few belongings from their house but he came back empty-handed. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Ahmed (age not disclosed) is deaf-mute and the father of six. His wife says he was working in the fields when everything started but that they have lost everything now, “including a tractor.” After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Bedia is Ahmed´s wife. She says there were no cars to escape during the attack and that they had to walk for hours alongside three other families until they found one. They don´t dare to go back for fear of kidnapping. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Alia Abderrazaz 28, left Tel Tamer in October and has just arrived in Washokani refugee camp from Hassaka. This mother of four says that they have lost all their belongings. “Erdogan would have never attacked us if he was afraid of God, but he´s not.” After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Aziz Hyder, 39, could barely take his passport with him after being forced to leave his village in Serekaniye. He rented a house for him and family in Hassaka where they spent four weeks before he ran out of money. He moved to an abandoned school until the de facto administration told him to relocate in Washokani. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Hussein Mohamed (age not disclosed) was among hundreds forced to leave on foot due to the lack of transport. All they had in the village of Tumat (Serekaniye area) has been reportedly destroyed by Turkish proxies. He claims they won´t be able to go back home while Erdogan is still alive. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Omar Hamud Ahmed, 82, is from Katina, a small village in Serekaniye area. One of his son suffering from diabetes is currently held by Turkish proxy militias in an Arab village and he fears for his health. Former neighbours told Omar his house was completely destroyed, and that even the tiles of his roof were removed. “They´re just former Daesh members who came for looting, raping, and killing, they´re not afraid of God.” After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)

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Rojava Refugees Portraits

Copyright Andoni Lubaki 2022

Date of Work Dec 2019 - Dec 2019

Updated Jan 2020

Location Hasaka, Northern Syria

Topics War

This a serie of refugees in different places around Rojava. After the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria in October 2019, Turkey launched an offensive against the predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country along Islamist forces. Calls for war crimes investigations into the conduct of Ankara-backed militias are mounting ever since. (Andoni Lubaki / Euskal Fondoa)