During ISIS attacks in 2014, HPG, YPG/YPJ and YBŞ opened and defended a humanitarian corridor from Shengal to Rojava. More than one hundred thousand civilians were saved from the ISIS massacre. While civilians were evacuated, food, medicines and other basic necessities were also transported to the region through this corridor.

The Iraqi government closed the humanitarian corridor on 15 December 2018 without giving a reason. The people of Shengal protested for days at the border. After the actions, meetings were held between decision-makers from the Shengal region and the Iraqi government, but so far no solution has been found.

Yesterday, hundreds of inhabitants of Shengal moved to the border with Rojava. They called on the Iraqi government to reopen the humanitarian corridor to Rojava. Iraqi soldiers tried to stop the demonstration. The activists were able to prevail, even though the soldiers shot into the air.

The call for the opening of a humanitarian corridor is aimed, on the one hand, at providing supplies to Shengal and, on the other hand, making it possible for the refugees to return to the Newroz camp in Rojava. The border officials promised the demonstrators to open the border in the next few days.

The head of National Security in Shengal, Neqib Nuhad said: "Demonstrations to open the border have been going on for quite some time. The self-government of northern and eastern Syria has made the necessary preparations in this respect. The border will be opened in the next few days."