Displacement leaves infant orphaned as fighting drives families from Rojava

QAMISHLI, Syria - An infant from Kobane has been left without both parents following separate incidents tied to recent fighting and displacement in northern Syria.

Akhin, yet to be two months of age, was born to a family from Kobane that has been displaced multiple times amid years of war in Syria. Her father was a Kurdish fighter who was killed while fighting in Hasaka’s Tel Tamer. Her mother was killed a month later during displacement toward Rojava along the Manbij road, according to family members.

Following her mother’s death, Akhin was taken in by her grandmother in northeast Syria’s (Roajva) Qamishli.

Amsha Khdr, Akhin’s grandmother, said she is now responsible for raising the child.

“I care for and raise this little child, hopefully Rojava will be peaceful and good. I want to raise this little child myself. I am a mother. My heart is burned. My heart is wounded. What shall I say to you? They destroyed three homes. Those fatherless gangs destroyed three of my homes. I didn't even see the bride's body - they didn't bring back anything,” Khadr said.

The family, originally from Kobane, has been displaced four times and is currently living in Qamishli. Three families, 10 people in total, are sharing a single room.

Akhin’s aunt, Adrian Rashid, said the family initially struggled to provide basic care for the infant due to shortages.

“The demanding child does not know what absence is. At first, we gave her yogurt. She ate a little and threw it up. We saw much suffering. Later, aid came to us. Aid came to us from Kurdistan. After that, Akhin [situaiton] improved, but again, the weather is still cold. Akhin is not without family - she has four aunts. Thank God. She has uncles. The grandfather and grandmother are safe. We all care for her,” Rashid said.

Other children in the household, including Akhin’s cousins Kana and Mohammed, have also lost their father in fighting four years ago, according to the family.

Khdr said the family intends to remain in the area despite repeated displacement.

“We will spite the enemy. We endure in this condition and spite the enemy. We will not leave our homeland and land. We will not give up by cutting off our daughters' braids and throwing them away. That land is our honor and dignity,” she said.

According to humanitarian agencies, more than 170,000 people had been forced to flee their homes across 178 communities in northeast Syria as of January 25, most of them in Hasaka province. Women and children make up the majority of the displaced.

The United Nations and aid groups say Syria remains one of the world’s worst displacement crises, warning that civilians are increasingly vulnerable amid overstretched services, harsh winter conditions, and ongoing security risks.

The latest wave of displacement followed a mid-January offensive by the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) across parts of eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka provinces.

The SDF serves as the de facto military force in Rojava and a key ally of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, having previously expelled the group from much of the region and maintained security to prevent its resurgence.

On Friday, the SDF and Damascus announced an internationally brokered agreement to end hostilities and integrate Rojava’s civil and military institutions, including the Kurdish-led forces, under Syrian state control. Despite the deal, many displaced families have yet to return to their homes.