ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Health conditions in the Kurdish city of Kobane have reached a critical stage as a weeks-long siege continues to cut off water, electricity, food, and medical supplies, local health officials warned, despite a ceasefire between Kurdish-led forces and Damascus.
Ahmed Mahmoud, co-chair of the Kobane health board, told Rudaw on Tuesday hundreds of residents have fallen ill due to contaminated drinking water, while essential medicines are running out fast. “The medicine we have on hand can only suffice for patients for one more week,” Mahmoud said.
Kobane has been under a strict blockade for more than three weeks, despite an internationally brokered agreement announced in late January between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus interim government to end hostilities and integrate the civil and military institutions of the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) under state control.
Electricity cuts have compounded the crisis. Mahmoud said power was restored for only five hours on Sunday after more than 20 days of outages, while water remains completely cut off and official supply routes are closed.
“The roads have not been opened, and the people obtain a small amount of food through smuggling,” he said.
According to Kobane’s health board, five hospitals are currently operating inside Kobane - three public and two private - but the system is overwhelmed by a growing influx of displaced people.
Mahmoud said that, however, there are five health centers in rural villages, but they are “under the control of the interim government marauders and are currently not providing services,” Mahmoud added.
Since residents rely on well water for drinking, according to Mahmoud, “which is unsterilized and lacks chlorine,” diseases have spread among the people, and “cases of poisoning have broken out.”
He reported that at least 500 people have suffered from diarrhea, vomiting, and poisoning linked to contaminated water.