Fear and insecurity grip villages of Nohadra amid Turkish military escalation in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

NOHADRA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — In the villages of Nohadra (Duhok), Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), residents are experiencing intense fear and insecurity due to ongoing clashes between occupying Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). These conflicts pose an existential threat to the villages in northern Iraq.

Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian villagers are afraid to go about their daily activities, fearing random attacks and the constant sounds of conflict in areas such as Amadiyah, Barwari, and Nahla. In an effort to preserve their villages, residents have raised flags and donned traditional folk costumes to distinguish their communities from Kurdish villages.

Sargon Ashouri, a 40-year-old resident of a Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian village in the Amadiyah District, stated, “There is fear because of what is happening in Noharda, and villagers are ready to emigrate from their villages because of the sounds of warplanes and drones that dominate the air, in addition to explosions and heavy bombing in the vicinity of their areas.” He explained that the proximity of Turkish forces to the village borders and the presence of PKK fighters disguised in local uniforms heighten their anxiety.

Ninos Matti, a 27-year-old activist, noted that the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian villages are experiencing partial displacement, which could lead to a broader exodus of the local population from these areas.