20.02.2026, 18:00 CET UPDATE – Siege of Kobanê continues

20.02.2026, 18:00 CET UPDATE – Siege of Kobanê continues

Siege of Kobanê continues

The humanitarian situation in Kobanê is becoming more critical every day. While diseases have already spread in recent times, essential medicines are now also running out. The siege has been going on for over a month. Ebdurezaq Îbrahîm, an employee of the central laboratory in Kobanê, explained that Kobanê is under heavy siege. “We are treating the population with all the means still at our disposal. Because the siege continues, we are on the verge of running out of medicines.” He explained that blood thinners and heart medication would run out within the next week.

So-called reopening

The public hospital in al-Shaddadi, west of Heseke, was opened in a ceremony organized by the HTS regime. The point is that the hospital was already opened in 2022 by the Autonomous Administration and has been serving the region’s approximately 300,000 residents of the region ever since. After the regime took al-Shaddadi, they are now trying to portray themselves in a favorable light. Meanwhile, essential problems in the regime’s areas remain unresolved. Fuel prices have tripled in areas such as Deir ez-Zor, and now bakeries have also gone out of service because the regime is blocking flour deliveries. According to the January 29 agreement, HTS is to withdraw from al-Shaddadi and hand over the city to the local internal security forces.

Panel discussion in Rome

A panel discussion on Rojava was organized in Rome. The panel discussed the history of Rojava, the course of the war in recent weeks, and the significance of Rojava for the Middle East and as an example for the whole world. Over 400 people took part in the panel, including activists, journalists, and artists.