Syrian Kurdish MP Issues Urgent Appeal as Displacement From Aleppo Neighborhoods to Afrin Intensifies

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A Syrian Kurdish member of parliament has issued an urgent humanitarian appeal, warning that thousands of civilians displaced by recent clashes in Aleppo are facing severe hardship as winter conditions worsen and assistance remains insufficient.

In a statement published on Facebook, Mohammad Sido, a Kurdish member of the Syrian People’s Assembly representing Afrin, described what he called a “mass forced displacement” following the latest clashes in the city of Aleppo.

Sido said residents of the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud neighborhoods have been compelled to flee their homes under harsh humanitarian conditions, coinciding with what he described as a bitterly cold winter. According to his statement, thousands of families have moved toward Afrin in northwest Syria (Western Kurdistan) in search of safety, with displacement continuing at the time of writing.

He acknowledged the efforts made by the local administration, Afrin Municipality, community elders, the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNCS), and several humanitarian organizations, including Bahar Organization, the Barzani Charity Foundation, the Red Crescent, and other active groups. However, Sido stressed that the scale of needs far exceeds the resources currently available, leaving the response limited despite these efforts.

Sido listed urgent winter needs that remain unmet, including food supplies, heating equipment, fuel, blankets, winter clothing, diapers, baby formula, medicines, and basic daily necessities. He warned that displaced families are living in extremely difficult conditions that threaten their health and dignity, particularly children and the elderly.

Despite these challenges, Sido praised what he described as the strong social solidarity shown by the local community in Afrin. He said residents, despite their own poverty and acute need, have opened their homes to displaced families, provided first aid, and arranged free transportation to villages and available areas, calling it an honorable example of humanitarian solidarity at a time when many in Afrin themselves are in urgent need.

Based on these conditions, Sido directed an urgent humanitarian appeal to the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs, local and international humanitarian organizations, donor agencies, people of conscience, and members of the Afrin community living abroad. He called for immediate intervention to prevent what he described as an escalating humanitarian catastrophe and to secure the basic requirements for a dignified life during the harsh winter.

He warned that any delay in response would compound the suffering, stressing that humanitarian responsibility requires action now, not later.

The appeal comes amid escalating humanitarian efforts linked to the displacement of Kurdish families from Aleppo. The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) announced its full readiness to receive and support displaced Kurdish families as security and humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate in western Kurdistan.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, Rawaj Haji, a member of BCF’s board of directors, said the foundation’s teams are fully prepared to receive large numbers of internally displaced persons and that all logistical and humanitarian preparations have been completed to meet growing needs. He noted that BCF has maintained an active presence in Afrin for the past three years, operating through a team of fifty employees and volunteers focused on shelter and essential humanitarian assistance.

BCF President Musa Ahmad said the foundation has been contacted by residents of Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh requesting aid, adding that a BCF representative is scheduled to meet relevant parties to facilitate assistance delivery.

The foundation previously issued an urgent appeal warning that continued violence could lead to a major humanitarian crisis, with mass displacement and heightened risks to civilians, particularly women and children. Preliminary figures cited by BCF indicate that a significant number of families have already fled Aleppo, many of them seeking refuge in Afrin, prompting the launch of a large-scale emergency relief campaign from the foundation’s Afrin office.

As displacement continues and winter conditions deepen, Sido’s appeal and the mobilization of humanitarian organizations underscore the growing urgency of coordinated action to prevent further deterioration in the living conditions of thousands of displaced civilians.