The Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, both predominantly inhabited by Kurdish citizens, have been witnessing a severe siege imposed by the temporary authorities in Syria, “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham,” since September 2025. This has taken the form of preventing the entry of basic materials, foremost among them fuel—particularly diesel—as well as construction materials.
This has been accompanied by the establishment of mobile checkpoints in the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, as part of tightening restrictions on Kurdish residents as they travel to other neighborhoods of Aleppo, and the imposition of inspection measures and additional restrictions outside official security frameworks, which has increased the daily suffering of residents.
The siege has resulted in serious economic, industrial, social, and health repercussions, as it caused the interruption of heating diesel supplies, leading to students being deprived of continuing their education. The post office building in the Ashrafieh neighborhood has also gone out of service; it is the building responsible for providing several neighborhoods with internet services, due to the lack of fuel needed to operate it with electricity.
The effects of the siege have extended to other vital sectors, including hospitals, schools, bakeries, and transportation, amid a suffocating crisis affecting thousands of families, especially with the approach of the winter season.
The temporary authority has also moved to freeze the operation of the People’s Municipality garage in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods by impounding vehicles transporting citizens wishing to travel between the two neighborhoods and the city of Afrin, and forcing them to head instead to the central city garage in the Bab Jinin area, which has exacerbated the suffering of residents and drivers alike.
These violations come within the context of a siege that has continued for months, characterized by policies of blocking basic supplies, setting up mobile checkpoints, and security harassment, which has directly affected civilians’ lives and their basic rights. Residents believe that these practices constitute a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability and deepens the humanitarian crisis in the two neighborhoods, amid a clear absence of accountability and legal oversight.
Residents of the affected neighborhoods hold the concerned authorities responsible for their legal and humanitarian obligations, calling for the immediate lifting of the siege and an end to the violations that undermine civilians’ dignity and their right to safe life, freedom of movement, and the provision of basic necessities.
