Musa Keno
Member of the Leadership Council of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria
The Reality of the Suffocating Siege
For nearly a month, the Kurdish city of Kobani, located on the border with Turkey and administratively affiliated with Aleppo province, has been living under a complete siege from all four directions. The blockade is imposed by armed factions affiliated with the Turkish occupation and operating under the banner of the Syrian Interim Government’s “Ministry of Defense.” This siege has led to a total disruption of basic services: there is no water, no electricity, and no internet, in addition to the complete absence of fuel and household gas.
Deterioration of Living and Food Conditions
The area is suffering from a severe shortage of food supplies, infant formula, and essential medicines. The limited quantities that manage to enter the city through smuggling routes have reached exorbitant prices, making the provision of basic sustenance far beyond the ability of the besieged residents.
Education and the Displacement Crisis
The educational process has come to a complete halt. Schools have remained closed for a month due to the displacement of residents from the western, southern, and southeastern villages of the Kobani countryside, who have been forced to take shelter inside school buildings. It is also noteworthy that nearly one hundred Kurdish villages have fallen under the control of these factions, where most homes have been subjected to systematic looting and theft.
War Crimes and Field Violations
Residents of Kobani are living in a constant state of fear and anxiety due to the massacres and violations committed by these factions against Kurds. This was recently evident in the village of “Khirab Ishk” south of Kobani, where a massacre was carried out that left five people dead and five others injured. Some of the wounded sustained permanent disabilities, and most of the victims were unarmed children.
The Tragedy of Displacement and the Health Situation
Those fleeing the horrors of the siege have not been spared harm. Several residents who attempted to leave the city were kidnapped in Syrian provinces controlled by the Syrian Interim Government and were only released after paying large financial ransoms. From a health perspective, several children have lost their lives due to the severe cold, while hundreds of poisoning cases have been recorded as residents were forced to drink contaminated water from artesian wells unfit for human consumption.
Political Responsibility and International Demands
The situation in Kobani and its countryside, under this unjust siege, has reached the level of a humanitarian catastrophe. Accordingly, we:
Hold the Syrian Interim Government fully responsible, legally and morally, for the current situation.
Demand the immediate implementation of the agreement signed between the Syrian Interim Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Call upon the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and the international coalition against terrorism to pressure the Turkish occupation and these factions to lift the siege.
Demand the withdrawal of these factions from Kurdish villages, the safe opening of roads, and the urgent entry of humanitarian aid.
Stress the immediate necessity of allowing Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross to enter the area to carry out their humanitarian missions.
Kobani – 20 February 2026
Source: Yek Dem
Read the Arabic version: Click here
