UN say aware of media reports on removal of Kurdish language in Afrin

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson of the secretary-general of the United Nations, said on Tuesday that they are aware of media reports about the removal of Kurdish language from school curriculum in Syria’s Afrin city. 
 
“We cannot confirm those reports, although we're aware of the media reports on this. What I can tell you is that the Secretary General strongly believes in the right of people everywhere in the world to speak the languages that they choose to speak and to learn all the different languages of those areas. So we want to make sure that the basic language rights of people are protected,” Haq told Rudaw during a press briefing. 

Some media outlets have reported that the interim authorities have removed Kurdish language from the curriculum. It remains unclear why the Syrian authorities made such a decision.

Afrin is a Kurdish enclave in northwest Syria. In 2018, Syrian militia groups backed by Turkey seized control. Thousands of people fled their homes and most are residing in the nearby Shahba region. International organizations have recorded numerous human rights violations committed by armed groups against Afrin’s remaining Kurdish population.

Namo Abdulla contributed to this article.