A United Nations convoy delivered humanitarian aid to the northern Syrian town of Ain al-Arab on Sunday, Jan. 26, amid a temporary ceasefire between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The delivery was organized to address humanitarian conditions in the town, also known as Kobane, following recent clashes between the two groups.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the 24-truck convoy carried “life-saving aid, including fuel, bread, and ready-to-eat rations.” The agency confirmed the operation was coordinated with the Syrian government. In a related statement, the Syrian army announced the opening of two humanitarian corridors, one into Ain al-Arab in Aleppo province and another to the nearby Hasakah province, to allow for the entry of aid.
The aid arrived after reports of deteriorating conditions in Ain al-Arab, a town with a reported population of 400,000. Located on the Turkish border and surrounded by Syrian government-controlled territory, the town had experienced cuts to its electricity and water supply for several days, according to reports from the area. The SDF has accused the Syrian army of imposing a siege on the town.
The delivery occurred during a ceasefire that was extended by 15 days on Saturday. An initial four-day truce had been established the previous week following an outbreak of fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF. The clashes were related to a dispute over the integration of SDF forces into the national army.
According to a statement from Damascus, the ceasefire extension was intended to support a U.S. operation to transfer approximately 7,000 detainees linked to the ISIL (ISIS) group from prisons previously under SDF control to facilities in Iraq.
Despite the extended truce, both sides alleged violations by Sunday evening. The Syrian army told state media that the SDF had targeted its positions with drones. Concurrently, the SDF accused “Damascus-affiliated factions” of carrying out attacks around Ain al-Arab, including one that it stated resulted in the death of a child.
Ain al-Arab holds significance for the SDF as the site of its first major victory against ISIL in 2015, which was secured with support from a U.S.-led coalition. The current Syrian government, which took power in 2024, has publicly called for the SDF to disband and integrate its forces.
