Calls to lift siege on Kobani and allow humanitarian aid

The Women’s Coordination of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Euphrates Canton issued a written statement today regarding the siege imposed on the city of Kobani, which read:

“In light of the attacks carried out against the city of Kobani and its countryside by factions of the so-called interim government backed by the Turkish occupation, we have witnessed the violations committed by mercenaries against women, who were targeted in brutal ways that reveal the deep hostility these factions harbor toward women—women who have fought courageously, made great sacrifices in confronting terrorism, and played a pivotal role in protecting their society and defending humanitarian values.

The city of Kobani has also been under a suffocating siege for 14 days, amid harsh and dire humanitarian conditions, including the complete cutoff of electricity, water, and internet services, the loss of basic necessities, severe shortages of food supplies, depletion of fuel, and the absence of infant formula—posing a direct threat to the lives of thousands of children.

Approximately 600,000 people live in the city of Kobani and are being affected by the current challenges facing the region. The continuation of these conditions will lead to further deterioration of the humanitarian situation, particularly for women and children.

We, in the Women’s Coordination of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Euphrates Canton, call on the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, intensify efforts to lift the siege on the city of Kobani, and open a humanitarian corridor to allow humanitarian aid to reach the city’s residents.

We also call on our people to strengthen solidarity and steadfastness in the face of all the challenges confronting the region, and the compounded responsibilities that fall upon women to preserve their gains and rights.

The people of Kobani—women in particular—have once again proven to the entire world during this difficult phase their deep attachment to their land and their determination to defend it through resistance and steadfastness in the face of attacks launched by factions of the interim government backed by the Turkish occupying state against their city. We affirm that our resistance for existence and dignity will continue until freedom and justice are achieved and a democratic Syria is built that respects the rights of all its components.”

ANHA