The attacks against Rojava and the actions developed by Kurds in response continue to resonate in global public opinion. In this context, a 13-member Swiss delegation—including Franziska Stier, member of the Basta Party in the Basel-Stadt Grand Council; Julien Berthod, Vice President of Swiss JUSO (Young Socialists); Yves Henz, member of the Zurich City Council for the Green Party; Moritz Alexander Haegi, doctoral research assistant at the University of Basel and activist; writer and human rights defender Cyrill Hermann; as well as artists and human rights advocates—traveled to the city of Qamishlo in northern Syria on Sunday.
In a statement issued under the name Rojava Delegation of Humanity, the delegation said the purpose of the visit was to witness developments on the ground and to assess the political and humanitarian situation in the region. The delegation called for the implementation of the agreement signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Transitional Government, noting that the process would be monitored and evaluated in the coming days.
‘Western governments must fulfill their responsibilities’
The delegation emphasized that the main reasons for the visit include the ongoing severe humanitarian crisis, intense siege conditions, and the danger of genocide facing ethnic and religious minorities in the region. The delegation underlined the urgent need for negotiation processes to be monitored and supported at the international level amid ongoing instability, adding that the delegation aims to contribute to peace efforts in the region and to call on Western governments to fulfill their responsibilities.
‘Kobanê is still under siege’
The delegation pointed out that North and East Syria has become the focal point of a new following the start of attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo on January 6, war. It stated that not only the Syrian Transitional Government’s army and its affiliated militias, but also Turkey and numerous proxy forces aligned with it, are attempting to assert control in the region.
The delegation noted that the city of Kobanê remains under siege by armed factions affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government, while the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The statement highlighted serious problems in the health sector, noting that due to shortages of medicine, fuel, and oxygen, Aykûr Children’s Hospital is on the verge of suspending its operations.
The delegation further stated that the comprehensive agreement made public envisages the integration of the autonomous administration into the Syrian state while preserving the autonomy of the SDF, and emphasized that the agreement aims to guarantee the return of populations forcibly displaced from Afrin, Serêkaniyê, and Aleppo.