Qamishlo suffers under economic crisis and blockade

Cities and towns under the control of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Rojava, northern Syria, are suffering under an economic crisis created by the Syrian civil war and political disputes with its neighbours, which have led to periodic closures of borders in the region.

 

Access to life-saving medicines is especially difficult. The airport in Qamishlo charges high prices for shipping medical supplies and Damascus stopped all flights into the city in late May.

 

The border between Qamishlo and Turkey has been closed since the beginning of the year. The border with the Kurdistan Region in Iraq was recently re-opened to allow the tax free shipping of humanitarian supplies.

 

The United Nations announced on June 23 that they are beginning to fly emergency supplies and humanitarian aid items into the city. The UN’s World Food Programme confirmed that 25 flights, each carrying 40 tonnes of aid, will fly into Qamishlo over the next month.

 

In the end, it is the civilians who are the biggest victims of war.