At least five civilians have been killed and some 30,000 people displaced following renewed fighting in Aleppo, Syria, prompting calls from the UN for immediate de-escalation and a return to political talks, United Nations (UN) reported.
Clashes resumed between General Security Forces of the transition government and the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), following a brief pause after the ceasefire announced in late December 2025. Initial fighting near the Alleramoon roundabout—on the historic city’s western outskirts—spread to the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Ash-Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, with shelling also affecting surrounding government-controlled areas.
Major damage has been reported to homes and public infrastructure, including healthcare. At least three major hospitals have stopped operating, while flights in and out of Aleppo International Airport have also been suspended since Tuesday.
The Secretary-General is alarmed by reports of civilian deaths and injuries after hostilities re-escalated earlier this week in the city’s northeastern neighborhoods, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.
“The United Nations reiterates that all parties have a clear obligation, under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, urging all actors to “immediately de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint, and take all measures to prevent further harm to civilians.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that approximately 30,000 people have been displaced, with more than 2,000 families moving to Afrin district and around 1,100 people sheltering in nine collective centers inside Aleppo. Thousands more fled Ashrafiyeh and Ash-Sheikh Maqsoud on Wednesday, seeking refuge with host communities.
The Secretary-General called on all parties to show flexibility and goodwill on both the military and political tracks and to resume negotiations to fully implement the March 10 agreement between the two sides. Asked what concrete steps were needed, Dujarric said an agreement between the government and the SDF on placing security forces under a unified national command would be a key measure. The latest violence comes amid an uneasy transition following the fall of the Assad government in December 2024.
Millions of Syrians remain dependent on aid, with many forced to spend another winter in tents or damaged homes. According to OCHA, heavy snowstorms that hit northern Syria at the end of December affected around 158,000 internally displaced people across Aleppo, Idleb and Al-Hasakeh governorates. Two infants died from extreme cold in displacement camps in northern Idlib, while thousands of shelters were damaged, leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures.
