Clashes resumed on Tuesday in Aleppo between the General Security Forces of the transition Government and the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), following a brief pause after the ceasefire announced in late December 2025. Fighting initially erupted near the Alleramoon roundabout on the city’s western outskirts and quickly spread to the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Ash-Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, with shelling also affecting surrounding government-controlled areas. Significant damage has been reported to homes and public infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, and at least three major hospitals have ceased operations. Flights at Aleppo International Airport have also been suspended since Tuesday.
The United Nations has expressed alarm over civilian deaths and injuries resulting from the renewed hostilities. UN officials emphasized that all parties are obligated under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, urging an immediate de-escalation and maximum restraint to prevent further harm. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 30,000 people have been displaced, with over 2,000 families relocating to Afrin district and about 1,100 people sheltering in nine collective centers within Aleppo. Thousands more fled Ashrafiyeh and Ash-Sheikh Maqsoud seeking refuge with host communities. Local authorities have designated places of worship as temporary shelters, opened humanitarian corridors, and mobilized public buses to assist displaced families.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations has called on all parties to demonstrate flexibility and goodwill, urging the resumption of negotiations to fully implement the 10 March agreement between the Government and the SDF. A key step highlighted by UN officials is the unification of security forces under a national command to ensure a safe and protected state for all Syrians. The latest violence follows the fall of the Assad Government in December 2024, which has been accompanied by flare-ups of violence in other regions, including sectarian attacks in Alawite coastal areas and Druze communities in Sweida, causing new displacement and deepening fears among Syrians recovering from nearly 14 years of war.
Humanitarian conditions in Syria continue to deteriorate, with millions dependent on aid and many spending winter in tents or damaged homes. OCHA reported that heavy snowstorms in late December affected around 158,000 internally displaced people in Aleppo, Idleb, and Al-Hasakeh governorates. Two infants died from extreme cold in displacement camps in northern Idlib, and thousands of shelters were damaged, leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures. Humanitarian agencies have warned that without rapid scaling of aid, health risks—particularly for children, older people, and those with chronic illnesses—will continue to rise, while insecurity further limits access and the delivery of assistance.
