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Aleppo's displaced find refuge in Kurdish regions

The residents of Aleppo are fleeing the regime’s shelling toward the north, mainly to Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood, where the local council tries its best to meet their needs.
A Kurdish boy waves a Kurdish flag during celebrations after it was reported that Kurdish forces took control of the Syrian town of Kobani, in Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood of Aleppo January 27, 2015. Kurdish forces battled Islamic State fighters outside Kobani on Tuesday, a monitoring group said, a day after Kurds said they took full control of the northern Syrian town following a four-month battle. REUTERS/Hosam Katan  (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR4N52W

ALEPPO, Syria — Dozens of inhabitants of the Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood queued for bread that is distributed to help the displaced and poor. To avoid the rush, Fatima headed to the local council’s office during the early morning hours to pick up some bread and other products. While she waited her turn, Fatima told Al-Monitor her story: “I could no longer bear to risk my children’s lives. We could hear the sounds of barrels and missiles coming down on our houses in al-Maysar neighborhood almost daily. After several attempts, my husband agreed to leave the house and settle in Sheikh Maksoud.”

Sheikh Maksoud, located in the northwest of Aleppo, is considered a safe haven for the displaced. Arab and Kurdish families alike go there to escape the shelling in the eastern neighborhoods under the opposition’s grip. Hundreds of families from Kobani sought shelter there in the wake of the battles between the Islamic State and the Kurdish forces.

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