The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called on member countries to support the reconstruction of Kobanê.

The PACE has included an article on Kobanê in the resolution section of a report it debated and accepted in the assembly, entitled: “The human cost of the actions of the terrorist group ISIS". The article said: “Support for the reconstruction of Kobanê in order for the return of its residents". In this resolution, which it forwarded to the Committee of Ministers and the parliaments of member states, the PACE called on its 47 member countries to support reconstruction efforts in Kobanê.

The report was compiled by PACE Syria rapporteur and former French minister Jean-Marie Bockel, and deals with the plight of citizens of Iraq and Syria and the actions of the Syrian regime and organisations such as ISIS and Al Qaeda. It was accepted and passed by a unanimous vote after a 3-hour debate in the assembly.

The report said the crimes committed by organisations such as ISIS would be evaluated within the scope of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and called on bodies such as the International Criminal Court to take action.

11 and a half million people displaced in Syria

According to the latest UNHCR report, 4 million people have left Syria, while 7 and a half million people have been internally displaced. Over 75,000 people died in Syria during 2014. The PACE resolution referred to the situation in Syria as a 'catastrophe'.

Jean-Marie Bockel called for urgent action to be taken to assist NGOs in Syria, which are in a desperate situation.

HDP Co-president Nazmi Gür spoke on behalf of the Left Group at the PACE, saying that ISIS and other organisations had perpetrated horrendous crimes in Sinjar and Rojava, adding that aid was not reaching refugees in Turkey and other countries. He called for support for the reconstruction of Kobanê.

Kurds resisting

PACE Turkey rapporteur Josette Durrieu said ISIS should not be underestimated, as the organisation aims to capture Baghdad and Damascus. She added that the Kurds were resisting this.