UN Warns of Severe Conditions in Kobani Despite Recent Syria Ceasefire
The UN says fighting has declined after the Jan. 30 SDF–Damascus deal, but nearly 160,000 remain displaced and Kobani still suffers from failing water, power, education, and humanitarian services.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The echoes of calm that followed the SDF–Damascus agreement have not translated into relief on the ground for Kobani, where failing services and displacement continue to define daily life despite a measurable drop in violence.
On Tuesday, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, addressed the latest developments in Syria, stating that UN teams have observed a significant decline in fighting following the signing of the Jan. 30 agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the government in Damascus.
Dujarric said the impact of the agreement has been evident in the reduced levels of clashes and killings across the country. However, he stressed that the humanitarian situation remains severe, particularly in Western Kurdistan (northern Syria).
Turning to displacement, he said that despite the decrease in hostilities, nearly 160,000 people remain displaced across Aleppo, Hasakah, and Raqqa provinces, where families continue to live under harsh conditions.
The UN spokesperson highlighted the situation in Kobani, explaining that while efforts are ongoing to sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance, major obstacles persist. He said that in Kobani, water and electricity systems are still not fully operational, that there are serious gaps in humanitarian services, and that in most parts of the city the education process and school attendance remain suspended.
On Sunday, the Kobani Local Administration stated that pledges made by Aleppo provincial authorities to withdraw military forces and lift the siege on the city have not been implemented, warning that conditions on the ground remain unchanged. The administration said a delegation had visited Aleppo on Feb. 5 at the invitation of the deputy governor to discuss the regional situation and the conditions in Kobani. During that meeting, the deputy governor pledged to withdraw forces from the city and end the siege, but no practical steps followed those commitments.
The administration also rejected attempts to alter the city’s official name, stressing that it will not accept changing Kobani to Ayn al-Arab and describing such moves as unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Kurdistan24 that the humanitarian situation in Kobani has significantly deteriorated and that the city is no longer able to absorb the large influx of internally displaced persons. Local sources and witnesses reported that thousands of IDPs are living in harsh conditions and facing severe shortages of food, clean drinking water, and medicine. According to the sources, the spread of diseases has increased, particularly among children, due to the lack of milk and essential medical supplies.
Kobani is known for its historic resistance against ISIS. The Battle of Kobani began on Sept. 13, 2014, and ended with the city’s liberation on Jan. 26, 2015, after 134 days of intense fighting. The defense, led by the People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units, was later reinforced by Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces, whose deployment proved decisive.
The victory marked the first major territorial defeat of ISIS after it declared its so-called “caliphate” in 2014 and laid the groundwork for further cooperation between Kurdish forces and the international coalition in subsequent battles against the extremist group.
As violence subsides on paper, Kobani’s streets continue to bear the weight of displacement, broken services, and unfulfilled commitments, underscoring the gap between agreements and realities on the ground.