UN aid convoy reaches Syria’s Ain al-Arab as truce between army, SDF holds

Convoy carrying food and fuel reaches Kurdish-majority town, also known as Kobane, in Aleppo province.Published On 26 Jan 2026A United Nations convoy carrying “life-saving” aid has arrived in the Kurdish-majority town of Ain al-Arab in northern Syria as a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continues to hold.The convoy’s arrival in Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobane, on Sunday came amid growing concerns about humanitarian conditions in the town, which has been surrounded by Syrian government forces.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US envoy meets SDF commander, calls for Syria ceasefire to be upheldlist 2 of 3Anxiety, anger, and hope in Syria’s Damascus after SDF ceasefirelist 3 of 3Syrian government takes over prison with ISIL-linked detainees in Raqqaend of listElectricity and water in the town have also been cut off for days.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the convoy consisted of 24 trucks carrying “life-saving aid, including fuel, bread, and ready-to-eat rations, to support people affected by the recent developments”.It said the convoy was coordinated with the Syrian government.The Syrian Army said in a statement that it was opening two corridors, one to Ain al-Arab, located in Aleppo province, and another to the nearby Hasakah province, to allow “the entry of aid”.Ain al-Arab, which has a population of 400,000 people, is hemmed in by the Turkish border to the north and government forces on all sides. It is approximately 200km (125 miles) from the SDF’s stronghold in Syria’s far northeast.The SDF has accused the Syrian Army of imposing a siege on the town.Clashes between the two sides erupted earlier this month amid a dispute over the integration of the SDF into the Syrian Army. Under pressure from the United States, the two sides agreed to a four day ceasefire last week, with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa giving the SDF until Saturday night ‍to lay down arms and come up with a plan to integrate with the army, or to resume fighting.