News Center — The city of Kobani has been under a tight siege for 16 consecutive days imposed by militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, while humanitarian aid coming from Northern Kurdistan remains suspended at the crossing by the Turkish occupation.

Since January 18, the city of Kobani in Rojava has been subjected to a strict security cordon from its eastern, southern, and western sides, imposed by militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which represents the Syrian Interim Government.

This siege has not only choked movement but has also severed the city’s main lifeline for more than 600,000 people. Water and electricity have been completely cut off, and fuel, gas, and diesel supplies have run out, leaving homes cold and markets empty of even the most basic foodstuffs and vegetables.

In the city’s alleys and pharmacies, the harshest face of the siege emerges: medications for chronic diseases have completely disappeared, most notably insulin, which is essential for diabetes patients. Despite limited international relief attempts through the United Nations and the Red Crescent, civilians have been left to face their fate without medicine. The power outage has also caused a complete paralysis of vital hospital departments, threatening a major health catastrophe.

Although an agreement to lift the siege was announced on January 30 between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Interim Government, the situation on the ground has not changed. Residents express their loss of trust in any political understandings that are not translated into bread and medicine, especially with the continued looting of villages in the southern countryside surrounding the city.

The tragedy is further compounded at the border crossings, where Turkish authorities have, for the past four days, continued to block the entry of humanitarian aid convoys collected by residents of Northern Kurdistan to relieve the people of Kobani, deepening the isolation and hardship endured by those under siege.