“Greetings to you all. Once again, this is Dr. Bakhtiar speaking to you from inside Kobani. I am addressing the humanitarian situation in Kobani over this past week, in light of the economic crisis and the blockade that has been imposed. Truly, the situation is heading toward a very major catastrophe from a human perspective.

There is a severe lack of basic life necessities for children, the sick, and hospitals. Furthermore, there is a total depletion of medicine supplies within pharmacies and medical centers. Every essential service has been cut off, including electricity, water, and internet. Regarding fuel (mazut), we are currently in the winter season; unfortunately, the past few days have seen heavy snowfall—the likes of which hasn’t been seen in fifty years—which has made the situation even more complex and dire.

As civilians, we do not concern ourselves with political or military details, nor do we know their intricacies. However, our call is to international organizations, powerful nations, and countries that stand for human rights: the cry of the people of Rojava in general, and the call of Kobani in particular, must be heard. Kobani once defended the entire world and became a symbol. We hope that the response will be proportional to the sacrifices Kobani has made and that this call is answered. Greetings and respect.”