The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said it received information indicating that members of the forces affiliated with the transitional government and some residents from neighboring villages stole and looted residents’ property in the villages of Jalabiyah and Kharab Ashk in the Kobani countryside.
According to the observatory, the mentioned groups took advantage of the residents’ displacement, looting household furniture, agricultural equipment, livestock and even food supplies, effectively stripping the two villages of all essential means of life.
SOHR stated that the acts of theft and looting coincided with an agreement scheduled to be implemented in the next two days between SDF and the transitional government: “However, this has not prevented continued assaults on civilians’ property, forcing residents to flee to Kobani city due to military escalation and heavy shelling, leaving behind years of labor, memories and livelihoods.”
The observatory noted that displaced residents are now living in dire humanitarian conditions under the siege imposed on the city by forces affiliated with the transitional government, suffering from severe shortages of basic necessities, almost complete absence of services and rising rates of poverty and disease, particularly among children and the elderly.
SOHR emphasized that the theft of property not only constitutes a violation of property rights but also compounds the residents’ psychological and social suffering, depriving them of any real chance to return or rebuild their lives.
The observatory called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to urgently intervene to lift the siege on Kobani, ensure the safe return of residents to their homes and protect their property and livelihoods from seizure and looting.