News Center- On Tuesday, Amnesty International issued a statement calling on the Syrian government forces to lift the siege imposed on Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, where mostly Kurds live.

“Syrian government forces must lift a brutal blockade on civilians in predominantly Kurdish areas in the northern Aleppo region that is obstructing residents’ access to fuel and other essential supplies,” the statement said.

Underlining that the siege has been imposed in some regions since August 2022, the statement said, “Tens of thousands of civilians, including internally displaced people, have faced severe shortages of fuel and aid. Medical supplies are now all but exhausted and people are burning household items and plastic to try and keep warm in freezing temperatures. The affected areas, including Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in the north of the city of Aleppo, and more than 50 villages in the Shahba area, are under the control of the Kurdish civilian council, which is affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). The Syrian government controls the entry of essential supplies, such as fuel, flour and humanitarian aid to these areas.”

Diana Semaan, Syria researcher at Amnesty International’s Beirut Regional Office, said, ““It is abhorrent to see the Syrian authorities depriving tens of thousands of residents in Aleppo of essential supplies for political considerations. Civilians are living in constant fear, deprivation and uncertainty, and are once again paying the highest price in this seemingly endless conflict. The Syrian government must take immediate action to address the dire humanitarian crisis by allowing fuel and other essential supplies, as well as aid organizations, into the areas affected, without restriction. This crisis is not only a moral imperative but also a legal one. The Syrian government has an obligation under international law to ensure its population have access to adequate food, medicine and other essential supplies. By blocking such access, they are violating their rights.”