UN warns of “very tense” situation amid Damascus-SDF clashes
Shafaq News– New York
The United Nations cautioned on Thursday that intensified fighting in northern and northeastern Syria is driving a serious humanitarian and protection crisis while increasing security risks linked to ISIS detention facilities.
Briefing the UN Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari described the situation as “very tense,” citing exchanges of fire between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in parts of Hasakah and around Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), an SDF-controlled enclave. He warned of “an alarming humanitarian and protection crisis,” stressing the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to ensure “immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access.”
Clashes between Damascus and the SDF have continued despite a four-day ceasefire, with hostilities extending to sensitive sites, including ISIS detention facilities. In a meeting today with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Erbil, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi reaffirmed the group’s readiness to pursue peaceful solutions “based on ensuring the rights of the Kurdish people within a unified Syria.”
Khiari called for “full respect for international law,” and urged the parties to pursue dialogue “in good faith.” He appealed for adherence to the January 18 ceasefire framework —a stance shared by representatives of Russia, France, the United States, and China— and called for the swift implementation of the January 20 understanding “in a spirit of compromise,” aimed at supporting the peaceful integration of northeast Syria, where Kurds form a majority, within Syria’s broader transition.
Warning that ISIS remains “a persistent threat,” Khiari stressed that the group must not be allowed to exploit the fluid security environment. He noted that during recent fighting, control of some ISIS detention facilities shifted from the SDF to government forces, including al-Hol camp, with indications that some detainees escaped. He urged that any remaining transfers of detention facilities be carried out “in an orderly manner.”
In a separate briefing, Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reported that clashes earlier this month in Aleppo displaced tens of thousands of people. As of January 18, more than 13,000 people had fled Raqqa, many taking shelter in collective centers in Qamishli, she added.
Wosornu confirmed that the fighting has disrupted access to clean water, forced some hospitals to close, and kept many children out of school, while damaged bridges, road closures, and explosive ordnance continue to restrict humanitarian access. “Displaced families face bitter winter conditions and desperately need shelter, food and heating.”
