Five children die in Kobani amid cold wave, fuel shortages
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Kurdish Red Crescent said on Saturday that the number of children who have died in the city of Kobani due to severe cold weather and a lack of heating fuel has risen to five, including infants, as winter conditions worsen across northern Syria.
Kurdish media outlet Rudaw quoted the co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent, Hadiya Abdullah, as saying that the children who died were between two months and four years old.
“The number of children who have died in Kobani has risen to five, including infants, due to the sharp drop in temperatures and the severe shortage of heating fuel and basic medical supplies,” Abdullah said.
Local medical workers told North Press that hospitals and clinics in the city are struggling to cope with the increasing number of cold-related illnesses among children and elderly residents, amid limited electricity supplies and reduced access to fuel needed for heating.
Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish city on the Syrian-Turkish border, has in recent weeks received waves of displaced families from surrounding rural areas, where sporadic security tensions and military activity have disrupted livelihoods and access to essential services. The influx has placed additional pressure on already stretched humanitarian resources.
The Kurdish Red Crescent warned that the continuation of restrictions on movement and supplies around the city poses a “serious and direct danger” to the lives of children, patients, and the elderly.
In a public appeal, the organization called on the international community and humanitarian and rights groups to intervene urgently to facilitate access for fuel and relief materials.
“We urge immediate action to break the encirclement and secure fuel and humanitarian assistance before we lose more lives,” Abdullah said.