Asmaa Mohammad

Qamishlo — In a new escalation affecting humanitarian work, one of the headquarters of the Kurdish Red Crescent in the city of Qamishlo was directly targeted on Wednesday evening, January 21. The attack was described as extremely dangerous due to the nature of the targeted facility and its vital role in providing medical and relief services to civilians affected by the escalation.

Targeting humanitarian facilities constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and directly threatens civilian lives and emergency response efforts in conflict zones. In this context, Media Ghanem, a member of the Media Office of the Kurdish Red Crescent, confirmed that one of the organization’s headquarters was directly bombed by drones, at a time when the organization continues its efforts to provide aid to thousands of displaced people—especially those arriving from the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh—amid harsh humanitarian conditions and a severe cold wave, which increases the burden of responsibility and exposes the grave danger of targeting neutral humanitarian institutions.

She explained that the attack occurred at approximately midnight, which prevented human casualties among staff members, as no personnel were present inside the headquarters at the time of the strike.

Ghanem noted that information received from official bodies affiliated with the Internal Security Forces indicates that the attack was carried out by Turkish drones. She emphasized that the Kurdish Red Crescent views this targeting as carrying extremely serious implications, particularly because it struck a humanitarian facility that plays a vital role in providing assistance to civilians affected by military escalation.

She pointed out that this attack had a direct and negative impact on the humanitarian efforts to aid displaced people forced to leave their areas, especially from the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, in addition to other regions. She stressed that many families were displaced under harsh conditions, without shelter or basic necessities, after leaving their homes hastily with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, amid a severe cold wave.

“Health facilities must be neutralized and protected”

Despite the targeting, the Kurdish Red Crescent continues to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to the displaced, driven by its purely humanitarian duty. Media Ghanem emphasized that the organization is not affiliated with any political or military entity and operates exclusively within the framework of neutral humanitarian work.

She explained that since its establishment in 2012, the Kurdish Red Crescent has provided humanitarian services to all those in need without discrimination, in accordance with the international principles and laws adopted by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. She added that the organization’s international partners are fully aware of the nature of this humanitarian work and the existing coordination mechanisms.

Ghanem confirmed that a number of Kurdish Red Crescent points were destroyed during recent attacks targeting areas of Rojava, and that some workers were directly targeted, considering this a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, which criminalizes the targeting of health and humanitarian facilities under any pretext.

She concluded by stating that the message of the Kurdish Red Crescent is clear and steadfast: a commitment to complete neutrality and to humanitarian work for all people from all components and communities. She called for the neutralization of health and humanitarian facilities from armed conflicts and for ensuring their protection in a way that guarantees the continued delivery of aid to civilians during times of crisis.