ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The humanitarian situation in the city of Kobane in Rojava (northeast Syria) is deteriorating as all roads leading to the city remain closed, cutting off supplies and access to basic services, the United Nations said.

The Syrian government has imposed a suffocating siege on Kobane in recent days, blocking roads leading to the city, slashing electricity, and curbing access to basic services.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday that humanitarian partners operating in Kobane are increasingly concerned about “the humanitarian situation there [in Kobane] getting worse,” adding that all roads connecting to the city are “currently closed.”

Interruptions to electricity, water, and internet services are further hampering civilians’ access to basic needs, according to the UN office.

“Health facilities are operating, but there have been reports of shortages of medicine,” OCHA said, adding that the UN team is in discussions with local authorities in Aleppo province to explore ways to provide support and prevent further deterioration of conditions.

Kobane’s al-Amal Hospital on Saturday told Hawar News Agency (ANHA) that at least four children have died due to dehydration caused by lack of nutrition and extreme cold in recent days as a result of the siege.

“A number of newborns lost their lives during childbirth in the hospital as a result of the loss of electricity and their need for oxygen,” ANHA cited the hospital’s administration as saying, also noting that “the continued lack of food and heating is threatening the lives of more children.”

“The city is witnessing a complete interruption of baby milk, a severe shortage of medicines in general, as well as the use of contaminated water for drinking and relying on what is left in the tanks.”

Kobane’s isolation comes amid wider instability in Rojava, as Damascus-affiliated forces have launched a brutal offensive against Kurdish-held areas in a bid to secure interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s vision of a united, centralized Syria, despite the country’s marginalized minorities repeatedly calling for federalism. 

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has warned that the humanitarian situation in the city Kobane is rapidly deteriorating as hundreds of thousands of civilians face siege conditions, ongoing shelling, and severe shortages.

In an emergency appeal, the Observatory called for four urgent steps: an immediate ceasefire to halt all military operations in and around the city; the lifting of the siege and opening of safe humanitarian corridors; the swift delivery of medical and humanitarian aid, including food, fuel and essential medicines; and the protection of civilian infrastructure in line with international humanitarian law.

The Syrian Ministry of Energy has denied reports that water supplies were deliberately cut off from the Kurdish city, saying it remains committed to providing water and electricity services to all citizens across the country within available technical capacities.

The ministry claimed the current outage is the result of technical faults at the Tishreen substation, blaming alleged attacks by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on energy infrastructure in the area.