Reopen of crossings by Iraqi Kurdistan | Food commodities and goods enter “Autonomous Administration” areas

SOHR reliable sources have monitored the entry of food commodities and goods into area under the control of the “Autonomous Administration” in north and east Syria, coming from Kurdistan region of Iraqi after reopen of the crossings connecting the two sides. It is worth noting that large amounts of ”sugar” entered the markets in areas controlled by the “Autonomous Administration.”

On January 23, SOHR activists reported that Simalka border crossing with Iraq Kurdistan region will be reopened.

According to sources, the crossing was to be operated normally for trade flows, humanitarian conditions, patients and visits.

According to reliable sources in Iraq Kurdistan region, camps were removed from the vicinity of the crossing in preparation for its reopening.

We, at SOHR, welcome the reopening of the crossing after closure for 35 days since the middle of December.

Reliable SOHR sources reported that areas under control “Autonomous Administration” in north and east Syria were witnessing a crisis of storing food commodities as residents are in panic conditions buying and stockpiling essentials like sugar, vegetable oil, margarine, rice, and canned food, and other supplies fearing these commodities would become unavailable on the market as a result of the government of Iraqi Kurdistan closure of Semalka crossing (Fish Khabur), which is the only humanitarian crossing that links north Syrian with the Iraqi Kurdistan areas.