ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations said Monday it has not yet verified reports of widespread looting in and around the Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Syria, despite mounting concerns over a deepening humanitarian crisis under an ongoing siege.
Responding to a question from Rudaw about local media reports that up to 70 villages near Kobane had suffered looting and destruction, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said they “will look into these claims," adding that he has not received any information regarding the claims. "It doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, it doesn’t mean it has happened. I just haven’t received it,” he elaborated.
Dujarric noted that fighting has subsided in several parts of Syria, including Aleppo, Hasaka, and Raqqa, following the recent internationally brokered agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the interim government in Damascus.
However, he said "160,000 people are still displaced" as of February 3, with electricity outages disrupting water systems, intermittent communications, constrained food supply chains, and schools still suspended in many areas.
In mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups launched a large-scale offensive against the SDF, northeast Syria's (Rojava) de facto military force, advancing across swathes of northern and northeastern Syria, including parts of Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka provinces.
Later in the month, the SDF and Damascus announced an internationally brokered agreement aimed at ending hostilities and integrating Rojava’s civil and military institutions under state authority. Despite the deal, the Kurdish city of Kobane has remained under a strict siege for more than three weeks, raising alarm over worsening humanitarian conditions.
Dujarric said between January 25 and February 5, UN partners facilitated ten inter-agency convoys to Qamishli and Kobane, delivering 154 trucks of aid. “In total, our partners have reached more than 190,000 people across 83 communities with food, medicine, winter supplies, and other essential items,” he said.
However, the situation in Kobane remains particularly dire. At least six children died last month due to limited medical services, according to the Kurdish Red Crescent in Rojava.
Namo Abdulla contributed to this article from New York.
