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AS US FORCES ADVANCE to reclaim the Syrian city of Raqqa from the so-called Islamic State, are faced with the stark choice of whether to stay put under heavy bombardment, or leave the city by crossing active frontlines and minefields, says international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
“Parents have to make an impossible decision,” says MSF emergency coordinator Puk Leenders.
“Either they stay in Raqqa, subjecting their children to increased violence and airstrikes, or they take them over the frontline, knowing they will need to cross minefields and may be caught in the crossfire.”
Having made the decision to leave, escaping Raqqa – known as the stronghold of Islamic State – is still fraught with difficulties.
“People are punished if they try to flee, and generally manage to leave only by paying huge bribes,” says Leenders.
“The road to Ain Issa was littered with mines,” says a 65-year-old man from Raqqa. “It took us two months to be able to leave Raqqa, but finally I left with five other families.
On the way, I was injured in an airstrike, while two of the children stepped on landmines as we fled in the middle of the night, injuring them both, one of them seriously.
US-backed Syrian fighters seized part of a district on the western edge of the Islamic State group’s Raqqa bastion and battled to advance inside the city’s east, a monitor said.
The Kurdish-Arab alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) broke into the city for the first time earlier this week, months after they launched an operation to capture the jihadist stronghold.
They are backed by the US-led coalition which carried out heavy air strikes on Raqqa and its surroundings into Friday morning.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said SDF fighters took parts of the suburb of Jazra just west of Raqqa’s city limits on Friday.
The monitor said heavy clashes were continuing in other parts of the neighbourhood, where at least 15 civilians were killed on Thursday night in the air strikes that hit an internet cafe.
The casualties in Jazra were among 23 civilians killed in over two dozen US-led coalition strikes on and near Raqqa on Thursday night, the Observatory said.
Humanitarian crisis
Many of those leaving Raqqa are heading north in search of safety towards neighbouring areas such as Ain Issa, Manbij, Mahmoudli and Tal Abyad, all within a 120-km radius of the northern Syrian city. Some, however, have headed for ‘the Berm’– the border area between southern Syria and Jordan, almost 700km away, where humanitarian assistance is almost non-existent.
Already vulnerable, their journey out of Raqqa is taking a heavy toll on their health. This is being exacerbated by poor living conditions once they arrive in a place of relative safety, in the often makeshift camps.
“Driving through these areas, you see tents and people haphazardly scattered all over the place, with the bare minimum for survival,” says Leenders.
Most people that we see are farmers, therefore most of them either leave with their livelihood like sheep and some belongings, or they leave with nothing aside from the clothes they are wearing.
MSF also urges international aid organisations to step up the provision of humanitarian aid to people fleeing Raqqa.
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Walk like an Egyptian…. They’ll think you’re bat shit crazy and to much of a liability to try take on
I needed that laugh
Walk like a Pidgeon, chew gum, wear a tracksuit and hold a half can of Stella and nobody will mess with you
Why do northsiders keep pidgeons?………………………………………………so they can teach their kids to walk.
Have to say lads I’m weak laughing
On behalf of Northsiders I’d say that it’s more important to teach kids to spell. Pigeon, for example. Otherwise you’ll end up speaking pidgin English like the Southsiders………
lol …Phil +1
What did the south side guy, say to the north side guy, that was chatting up his girlfriend?
Nothing. He shat himself & went to the “loo”
Why was the northside guy chatting to the southside guy’s girlfriend? Looking for change for a hostel, obviously.
Epic Phil, what a legend!!
A hostel were he would take his girlfreind mark !
Ha, if she’s a proper southside girl she wouldn’t be caught dead in a hostel!
And Irish Judges will let those violent criminals walk away with a six month suspended.
If they’re really unlucky. Community service is real popular too
Well you can tell by the way I use my walk I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk…
The business executive who violently attacked the cyclist was a real nice fella . not all thugs wear tracksuits .
Psychopaths are the preferred choice for managerial positions in some companies. They get away with it at work but sometimes they forget outside the bubble and many people pray that they’re around when that happens just to even things up for the victim, that’s all, honestly.
I walk on walls, never been mugged
You’ve obviously never met spiderthug? Your day will come
Tiocfaidh ár lá Alan ;-)
People with certain psychopathic traits, not psychopaths. Psychopaths are the one running big business, governments, banks etc. You know the ones? F√¢k everybody types?
I’m a bit like that. Got me a little bit of power in the labour camp, haven’t looked back since
Like Charity CEO’S???
Yeah they’re the feel no remorse types. The kind that can rape, beat, shoot, stab and gouge without feeling a thing.
Psychopaths don’t necessarily rape, beat, shoot, stab or gouge anybody.
I know one or two guys who look run of the mill but I ‘d be a very upset mugger if I tangled with them.
well of course you can tell. You can tell a lot by someone’s demeanour.
I always study a person’s shoes.
That means nothing, there are plenty of cheapskates out there?
People with money sometimes sport the most horrific footwear.
And plenty of cheap skates
You’re also more likely to be chosen as a victim if you look like you wouldn’t fight back. When someone suspicious walks past you always look them in the eye, they’ll pick someone else.
Over 60s should carry a walking stick whether they need it or not, just as effective as the look in the eye
A walking stick would get in my way. Hands free does the most damage when called upon …
Sinead that is very poor advice, looking somebody in the eye who you think is suspicious can be seen as a challenge or interpreted in so many different ways you are inviting trouble, Do NOT interact with potential adversaries, increase your situational awareness stay in control and move away from trouble
Tiny sampling base. Leaves out facts such as females, young, elderly, sick, disabled etc usually being more vulnerable. In fact most crimes are opportunistic committed by young people on other young people. Very little intellectual data analysis is undertaken by the perpetrators on victims or possible outcomes for themselves.
What are “young people”?anyone who is not old?
Keep your head up, always observe your surroundings and keep your arms loose with a 6 or 7 inch gap between the inside of your elbows and your hip. Unlike this article it’s best to walk the walk to avoid any form of violence altogether. Bit stupid of the author to say it’s better to get built than avoid any confrontation altogether. With the violent third worlders flooding into Europe tho it’s probably a good time to get built tho.
Alex Ferguson said there were two things you couldn’t change; The team you support and the way you walk.
I used to support QPR then I supported Man U now I just support ROI or anyirish international and my walk changes with my levels of confidence so he should stick to managing United.
West Ham are my favourite London team, then spurs. Good fans. Especially the Hammers. Witnessed them live at Anfield. Gettin beat 5 nil but still going haywire.
I can judge potential criminals by their smell and their need for a rock of crack
I look for the hunger in the eyes if they are hungry they let you know and the determination in the the walk is a dead give away, the energetic dead look (guant and hyper) is quite mischievous.
I know of a person who 2 fellas thought it be fun to beat up as they saw the man as a simpleton in their view, they waited one night to pounch on him. Turns out they didn’t batter him, that he battered them as he was well up the karate ladder.
If you look vunerable then certain people will see you as a target, as there are some right bad sods out there.
And most aware citizens can spot the violent criminal by their working class features. Their appearance usually suggests low intelligence and if they chance to open their mouth… done deal. If you get really lucky and they produce a pack of Blue when they smoke. Get out of the area fast.
So it’s sort of reverse profiling by criminals on potential victims . . The criminal mind is absolutely narcissistic.
Trust psychopaths to come up with stuff normal people would never think of?
Moonwalk away shouting heeeee heeeeee!
What a load of shite
Now that is a thought, reading a persons walk who has just pooed themselves?
Yes, inferred levels of defiance/compliance and likelihood of success may be naturally determined by the evil that walk among us even at range based on a prospective victims stance, gait, reactionary reciprocal glances or lack/avoidance of, orientation relative to the onlooker, demeanour, manner of making/breaking held eye contact, whether they see hands nervously clutching a handbag or else determinedly clenched in a precautionary fist. We humans wear our fear outwardly in a multitude of ways and any jackal that enjoys a kill will instinctively know his particular prey from amongst the masses. Ted Bundy used to bypass his fellow humans fight or flight and other defensive layers/mechanisms by pretending to be injured, arm in a sling, on crutches etc. A good killer will have you in a place beyond refuge ever before you know you’re soon to be dead.
They wouldn’t have the intelligents.
No sh!t Sherlock!
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