Kurdish civilians in Kobane in northern Syria are suffering as they are now under siege by the Syrian transitional government. The Syrian Democratic Forces were forced to retreat in the face of an offensive by the Syrian army in mid-January. This left the Kurdish city of Kobane largely cut off from the outside world.
Kurdish media Rudaw reported on Saturday, January 24, that a “week-long siege imposed by the interim government in Damascus on the Kurdish town of Kobane is making life unbearable as five children froze to death on Saturday. The residents call for an urgent flow of aid to avoid a catastrophe.”
A resident of Kobane said in a message to Rudaw, “We are in a dire condition. We are melting snow through fire, but we do not have [enough] fire to melt the snow with. We do not have water, bread, kerosene, or anything else.”
Humanitarian corridors to be opened
Now there is a glimmer of hope. The Syrian government said it is opening humanitarian corridors to Kobane and another Kurdish-held enclave in easter Syria.
“The Operation Command at the Syrian Arab Army announced Sunday the opening of two humanitarian corridors in collaboration with the governorates of Hasakah and Aleppo, aimed at facilitating the delivery of essential aid to areas impacted by the ongoing situation,” Syrian state media said on Sunday.
The maps show the corridors stretch toward Damascus. Meanwhile, Turkey has also cut off Kobane because the city is on the Turkish border. Ankara could allow humanitarian aid in, but it has not. Ankara called for aid to enter Gaza during the war, but when it comes to Kurdish civilians, it appears Ankara does not have the same standards as it did in wanting to aid civilians in Gaza.
Syrian state media SANA also said, “According to a statement by the [Operation] Command, the first corridor runs along the Raqqa-Hasakah Highway near the village of Tal Barud, in coordination with Hasakah Governorate. The second corridor is located at the M4 junction near the village of Nour Ali, in coordination with the Aleppo Governorate.”
The reports from Damascus noted that the corridors will be used exclusively for humanitarian purposes, enabling the transportation of aid and addressing the urgent needs of civilians in the affected regions.
Late on Saturday, SANA said, Syria’s Defense Ministry also announced that the ceasefire with the SDF has been extended across all fronts of Syrian Arab Army operations for 15 days, starting at 23:00 on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
Per SANA, the move comes in support of the US operation to transfer ISIS detainees from the SDF’s prisons to Iraq instead.
It is unclear how long this deal will continue. The first truce deal in Syria was from January 20 to January 24.
“Earlier, the Operations Command of the Syrian Arab Army warned the SDF and PKK militias against continuing their violations and provocations. It also announced, in a statement to SANA, the opening of humanitarian corridors in Hasaka to provide support and relief in cooperation with the relevant ministries.”
Nevertheless, until matters are clearer, civilians in Kobane appear to still be cut off, and the cold temperatures of winter, paired with reports of lack of electricity and water, are leading to a harrowing situation.