Siege forces closure of Kobani’s main vegetable market

Armed factions affiliated with the Syrian interim government, backed by the Turkish occupation state, continue to impose a tight siege on the city of Kobani in the Euphrates Canton for the thirteenth consecutive day. The siege is accompanied by a complete cutoff of water, electricity, and internet services from the city, which hosts tens of thousands of displaced people from Raqqa and Tabqa, in addition to displaced persons from Afrin and Shahba. This has exacerbated the humanitarian disaster and deepened the suffering of the population.

The siege has cast a heavy shadow over all aspects of life, particularly food security, as the city is witnessing a total interruption of vegetables and fruits—an unprecedented situation in years.

In this context, ANNA correspondent visited the wholesale market in Kobani, where video footage showed that all market shops were completely closed.

The wholesale market in Kobani is the largest vegetable and fruit market in the Euphrates Canton and was relied upon by surrounding towns and villages to meet their daily needs. However, the imposed siege has prevented the entry of any food supplies into the city, including vegetables and fruits that were previously transported from Manbij and Aleppo.

One of the wholesale market traders told ANHA agency that the market has been closed for more than ten consecutive days due to the ban on the entry of vegetables and fruits into Kobani in parallel with the siege imposed on the canton. He stressed that this situation has had a severe and dangerous impact on citizens’ lives, calling for the lifting of the siege and the urgent entry of food supplies and essential necessities.

The trader explained that the wholesale market includes around 50 shops, all of which are now completely empty of any vegetables or fruits, while residents are suffering from a severe shortage of food, in addition to the lack of water, electricity, and fuel.

He added that the arrival of thousands of displaced people to the city has increased the demand for basic materials, amid humanitarian conditions that continue to deteriorate day after day. He warned of serious consequences if the siege continues and food is prevented from entering Kobani.

Residents of Kobani and local traders are calling on humanitarian organizations to intervene urgently to lift the siege and ensure the entry of food and basic necessities, in order to prevent the situation from sliding into a broader humanitarian catastrophe that threatens the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.

ANHA