ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Dozens of business owners and oil traders in Erbil have organized a new humanitarian aid convoy to northeast Syria (Rojava), dispatching 25 trucks loaded with food and relief supplies in a renewed show of support for fellow Kurds in the enclave, in response to a call for solidarity by President Masoud Barzani.
The initiative brings together 160 refinery owners and fuel traders from Erbil.
Didar Barzani, a refinery owner and one of the donors, told Rudaw on Wednesday, “When President [Masoud] Barzani delivered a speech calling for aid to our brothers and sisters in Rojava, we responded with great enthusiasm and launched a campaign among traders in Erbil province’s fuel market.”
Meanwhile, Abdullah Saeed, chairman of the Erbil Refinery Owners Council, said the sector has consistently answered calls for national solidarity.
“Whenever Kurdistan or our homeland has needed us, refinery owners and Erbil’s fuel market have been ready to step up. We launched this aid campaign, and all our brothers participated - thanks to them. I thank them all,” he told Rudaw.
Similarly, Wali Omar, another refinery owner involved in the effort, detailed the convoy’s contents: “Nine trucks loaded with flour, seven with food, six with potatoes, two with blankets and mattresses, and one with onions,” he said.
The convoy is scheduled to arrive in Rojava on Wednesday via the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF). More than 300 trucks of various forms of aid have previously been sent through the foundation.
Later on Wednesday, President Barzani praised the people of the Kurdistan Region for their widespread participation in collecting humanitarian aid for Rojava, describing the public response as “historic.”
“I extend my deepest thanks to the beloved citizens of Kurdistan for their sincere efforts in collecting aid and assistance for our brothers and sisters in Western Kurdistan [Rojava],” President Barzani said in a statement issued by his office. He added that the public’s stance was “historic and a source of pride and appreciation.”
He further commended BCF for facilitating the transfer of the aid, as well as the organizations, political parties, public figures, and media outlets involved in the campaign. Their efforts, he said, “fulfilled a national and patriotic duty in the best possible manner,” noting that the initiative would help strengthen patriotic spirit and national awareness across Kurdistan.
The initiative by Erbil business owners comes amid a broader surge in humanitarian assistance to Rojava, following military tensions, displacement, and harsh winter conditions that have strained civilian life.
Last week, around 130 trucks carrying 10 tons of aid were dispatched to Rojava. The humanitarian assistance, valued at more than 1.3 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $932,000), was sent to the Kurdish-led Rojava as part of Rudaw’s Ranj campaign, led by lead anchor Ranj Sangawi.
Aid convoys to Rojava come after weeks of intense clashes, following a large-scale attack by the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in areas in northern and northeastern Syria.
The United Nations refugee agency told Rudaw that the fighting displaced some 100,000 people, the majority of whom are Kurds.
On Friday, the SDF and the Syrian interim government announced they had reached a comprehensive agreement, bringing an end to the clashes.
The deal, brokered by international powers including France and the United States, saw Damascus-affiliated internal security forces enter the Kurdish cities of Hasaka and Qamishli on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Another convoy reached the outskirts of the besieged city of Kobane as well.
Horvan Rafaat contributed to this report from Erbil.
