Report Prepared by: Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF
Aleppo – October 2025
The Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo, including Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, have been witnessing an escalation in security tensions and intermittent shelling from adjacent areas controlled by factions backed by external powers. This situation places the lives of thousands of civilians in constant danger and deepens anxiety and instability in one of the most densely populated districts in northern Syria.
Deteriorating Humanitarian and Security Conditions
According to local sources and resident testimonies collected by a team of field monitors, the Kurdish neighborhoods have recently been subjected to repeated artillery shelling that targeted residential zones and vital service facilities, including a school and a medical clinic in Sheikh Maqsoud. These attacks resulted in casualties among civilians, including women and children.
The ongoing violence has also displaced dozens of families who have fled to safer areas within the city or to northern rural Aleppo.
Sustained Targeting of Civilian Infrastructure
The intermittent shelling has caused significant damage to electricity and water networks, leaving thousands of families to endure harsh humanitarian conditions.
Field reports further indicate that bakeries and food distribution centers in these neighborhoods are operating irregularly due to difficulties in transporting fuel and flour through crossings controlled by government forces.
Civilians in the Line of Fire
Kurdish civilians remain in a state of constant fear as sniping and sporadic clashes continue along the outskirts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. Resident accounts confirm that shells frequently fall without warning in marketplaces and major streets.
A human rights activist from the neighborhood stated that “civilians have become trapped between frontlines, with no protection or guarantees from any party, while violations continue with impunity.”
Stance of Human Rights Organizations
Syrian and international human rights organizations, including the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) and Amnesty International, have expressed deep concern over the continued targeting of Kurdish areas. They regard these actions as clear violations of international humanitarian law, particularly provisions that prohibit attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure during armed conflicts.
These organizations have called for securing humanitarian corridors to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded, as well as establishing independent investigations into the recurring violations affecting Kurdish neighborhoods for over a year.
Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
The population currently residing in the Kurdish neighborhoods is estimated at approximately 90,000 civilians, most of whom are internally displaced persons who fled from other parts of northern Syria.
Community representatives report that the humanitarian situation has reached a critical stage due to the partial blockade imposed on the area, soaring food prices, and the shortage of essential medicines.
Calls for Immediate International Action
Kurdish civil society organizations in Syria warn that the continued targeting of these neighborhoods could trigger a new humanitarian disaster in Aleppo, especially amid international silence and the absence of effective civilian protection mechanisms.
The Geostrategic Organization for Kurdish Civil Society and other local groups have urged the international community to:
Pressure all parties to immediately cease attacks on civilians.
Deploy a United Nations monitoring mission to Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo to document violations.
Facilitate the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Conclusion
The persistent threat to Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo constitutes a serious challenge to civilian security and broader stabilization efforts in Syria. It reveals once again the fragility of the security environment and the lack of legal protection for local residents.
International silence regarding the situation in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh invites further violations and places a substantial responsibility on human rights and media organizations to continue documentation and advocate for the protection of Kurdish civilians in the city.
