Aleppo Kurdish neighborhoods face crisis amid government siege – Kurdish official
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Mustafa Mohammed, an official of the Kurdish Neighborhoods Council in the city of Aleppo, northwestern Syria, warned on Sunday that the blockade imposed on the neighborhoods for nearly three months is “portending a humanitarian catastrophe,” particularly amid fuel shortages during the harsh winter season.
Mohammed told North Press that the siege on the Kurdish neighborhoods by forces of the Syrian transitional government remains in place, with no serious communication to lift it, despite repeated warnings about its severe repercussions on living conditions, especially the ban on the entry of all types of fuel.
He explained that the blockade has extended to the most basic necessities of daily life, including preventing the entry of cooking gas cylinders and the continued disruption of fuel supplies, describing the situation as “a crime against humanity” given the difficult conditions residents are enduring during winter.
Mohammed noted that movement within the neighborhoods is still ongoing and that some shops supplying residents with daily necessities remain open, but warned that these goods are likely to run out soon if the blockade continues.
He added that many families are in urgent need of infant formula, while elderly residents depend on medications that could be cut off at any moment.
According to Mohammed, only a small number of residents have access to alternative heating methods, while most lack even the most basic means of heating. He also confirmed that electricity remains cut off in large parts of the neighborhoods due to damage to the power grid during the latest attack.
He said electricity repair crews attempted to fix the damage, but forces of the transitional government prevented the entry of the necessary cables, leading to a complete power outage. He warned that this situation, combined with sharply dropping temperatures, could result in a humanitarian disaster if swift solutions are not found.
Mohammed further pointed out that the blockade extends beyond basic necessities to include a ban on construction materials, hindering the repair of homes—especially for families returning from abroad—despite the neighborhoods having been subjected to indiscriminate shelling during years of the Syrian conflict.
In closing, Mohammed called on Syrian authorities to lift the blockade on the Kurdish neighborhoods, stressing that they are an integral part of Aleppo and pose no security threat. “Their residents have, for decades, sought to entrench civil peace within a vision for Syria’s future,” he said.