Zeinab Issa

Qamishlo — The siege imposed on the city of Kobani continues, with residents facing severe humanitarian conditions, particularly children who are suffering from illness and death due to extreme cold and oxygen shortages in hospitals, leading to the inability to care for newborns.

Amid the absence of international aid, the STAR Organization for the Protection of Children’s Rights continues its humanitarian efforts to support displaced children. Julia Zillo, an administrator at the organization, affirmed that caring for and protecting children remains a fundamental duty that cannot be abandoned.

“Children are the group most affected by ongoing conflicts,” she said.

She explained that the region has been subjected to a series of attacks she described as “genocidal,” carried out by jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which she said represents the Syrian Interim Government. These attacks resulted in mass massacres against civilians.

“These assaults led to killings and abductions and forced thousands of civilians to flee,” she stressed, adding that children have paid the highest price for these tragedies.

“Children Died From the Cold”

Julia Zillo considers the siege imposed on Kobani to pose a serious threat to children’s lives, noting that five children have died due to extreme cold and fuel shortages.

“Since January 6, jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have launched brutal attacks on regions of northern and eastern Syria, leading to the siege of Kurdish cities, foremost among them Kobani,” she said.

She added that residents of the city are facing severe economic hardship and a suffocating humanitarian crisis, as children are deprived of milk, clothing, and basic survival necessities. Meanwhile, the depletion of oxygen supplies in intensive care units has resulted in further deaths among newborns.

Julia Zillo confirmed that the organization is making continuous efforts to meet the basic needs of displaced children and provide them with care, noting that its work continues in the city of Qamishlo through the provision of medical and food assistance to sick children and the supply of survival essentials.

“The organization is taking the necessary measures on all levels to protect these children,” she said.

She criticized the absence of the United Nations’ role in guaranteeing children’s rights in northern and eastern Syria, where children are being killed as a result of conflicts.

“Caring for children represents a fundamental right and duty for the organization, and we will continue this mission to the end, in order to protect the land, the people, and the country