Health situation deteriorated in Kobani due to siege

Despite the agreement reached on 29 January between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Interim Government, Kobani has remained under severe siege since the twentieth of the same month. The co-chair of the city’s Health Authority, Ahmad Mahmoud, spoke to ANHA agency about the health situation under the siege imposed on Kobani.

Mahmoud explained that the siege has continued for fifty days, saying: “Since 20 January until today, Kobani has been facing a strict siege. During this period, no medicines have entered the city except for limited quantities sent by some humanitarian organizations, and they were insufficient. As all residents of the villages surrounding Kobani fled to the city center due to the attacks, pressure on the city’s hospitals has increased, with Kobani Hospital receiving around 800 patients daily. Our health centers in Jableh, Karak, Sirrin, and Al-Qadriya have gone out of service due to looting and attacks carried out by factions affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government.”

Many medical devices out of service

Mahmoud pointed out that the medicines sent by humanitarian organizations were general and limited, adding: “The diabetes treatment center has gone out of service due to the lack of medication. It has also become difficult to secure medicines for heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, and cancer. As for leishmaniasis medicine, which is available only at Mishtenur Hospital, it is about to run out due to the increasing number of cases.” 

He continued: “With the beginning of the siege, electricity was cut off, and since then we have been relying on generators running 24 hours a day, which caused many of our medical devices and radiology equipment to break down and go out of service. We have four dialysis machines, but due to unstable electricity, three of them stopped working and only one remains operational.”

Shortage of children’s vaccines

Mahmoud added that the stock of children’s vaccines is steadily decreasing, saying: “We call on the Syrian Interim Government to lift the siege on Kobani to allow medicines to enter the city, as children’s vaccines are sent by the World Health Organization through the government. We demand that our share of these medicines reaches the city.”

Some medicines depleted, others scarce

Mahmoud also stated that laboratory medicines stopped for a period before some quantities arrived from the Jazira region, adding: “There are some medicines in the laboratories but they are few. In our hospitals, some types of testing-related medicines have run out. Stocks of anesthesia drugs have also become limited, and they are essential for performing surgeries. If this shortage continues, we may be forced to stop operations.”

The siege on Kobani must be lifted

Ahmad Mahmoud stressed that the Syrian Interim Government denies imposing a siege on Kobani, but when no materials enter the city and nothing leaves it, this itself is a siege, adding: “If the situation continues like this, we will face a real catastrophe. Therefore, we call on human rights organizations and concerned parties to put pressure on the Syrian Interim Government to open the roads, and the siege on Kobani must be lifted urgently so that medicines can reach the city.”

A-H

ANHA