Syria
Kurdish children and their families fleeing a government advance through Kurdish-controlled areas arrive in the Kurdish Syrian city of Qamishli on January 19, 2026. File photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Four children have died from cold exposure in Kobane, northern Syria, as the Kurdish city remains under a strict siege imposed by Damascus-backed armed factions, the Kurdish Red Crescent announced on Saturday.
“Due to the severe siege on the city of Kobane, four children have died from cold,” Hadiya Abdullah, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent in Rojava, told Rudaw.
Kobane holds deep symbolic importance for Kurds. In 2014, the city was the site of a pivotal battle against the Islamic State (ISIS), when militants surrounded the city and forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee to neighboring Turkey.
The current situation comes amid broader tensions between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Since mid-January, Syrian government forces and allied groups have advanced into SDF-held areas across eastern Aleppo and parts of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka.
The deaths were reported a day after the United Nations warned that the humanitarian situation in Kobane risks further deterioration, with all access routes to the city remaining closed by Damascus forces and basic services severely disrupted.
“All roads connecting to Kobane are currently closed. Interruptions to the power supply, water, and internet are hampering people’s access to basic services,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told Rudaw.
Haq said the UN is in contact with “authorities in Aleppo on how we can support them,” adding that UN agencies and partners continue to provide aid following recent clashes across Aleppo, Raqqa, Hasaka, and Deir ez-Zor.
Asked by Rudaw correspondent Namo Abdulla whether the UN had raised concerns with Syrian authorities over what he described as a siege on Kobane, Haq said, “We are engaging with the authorities. We want to carry out more assessments and ensure that access to Kobane is facilitated, and we will continue that work.”
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