A dated roundup of Munich diplomacy, the proposed Save the Kurds Act, UNICEF’s northeast Syria response and infrastructure announcements in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Police and pedestrians behind metal barriers outside Munich’s Bayerischer Hof hotel during the 2026 security conference
Security barriers outside the Bayerischer Hof on Promenadeplatz during the Munich Security Conference, photographed by H-stt on 14 February 2026. © H-stt · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0.

A roundup for the closing Munich weekend

The Munich Security Conference ran from 13 to 15 February 2026. [1] For Kurdish affairs, the weekend brought discussions involving Syrian officials, the Syrian Democratic Forces and US legislators. Humanitarian reporting from northern Syria described a fragile improvement after the January agreement alongside continuing displacement. In Iraqi Kurdistan, earlier official announcements detailed road construction and heritage planning. This roundup distinguishes the dates of those announcements from the date of this edition.

14 February: US legislators meet Shaibani and Abdi

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s readout records a meeting between Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and a bipartisan US delegation. Participants included Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Thom Tillis, Chris Coons, Chris Murphy and Mark Kelly, and Representatives Jim Himes and Sara Jacobs. Shaheen called for implementation of the recent Syrian government–SDF agreement, inclusive governance and human-rights protections. The readout also describes her support for Caesar Act repeal through the FY2026 defence legislation, presented as an opportunity for reconstruction and investment. [2] Diplomatic support and calls for implementation leave the practical questions of governance and protection to be resolved through subsequent action.

The Save the Kurds Act was a proposed bill

The official introduced version of S.3740 records that Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal introduced the Save the Kurds Act on 29 January 2026 and that it was referred to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. Its stated subject was sanctions and other measures concerning Syria’s government. [3] Graham’s announcement described proposed sanctions, recognition of the SDF’s role against ISIS, conditions for suspending sanctions and a mechanism to restore them if attacks resumed. [4] These sources document a legislative proposal at the time of this roundup, with provisions whose operation depended on enactment.

Syria: relief corridors and continuing displacement

UNICEF’s 10 February update reported reduced hostilities following the 30 January agreement, while insecurity and disrupted services continued. It cited about 157,500 people still displaced as of 1 February across parts of Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa; that geographical total does not give a return percentage for two Aleppo neighbourhoods. Aid partners used designated corridors to reach Kobani and Qamishli. UNICEF described fuel for Kobani’s water stations and emergency supplies, alongside school assessments in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud. [5] The report connects access, safe water and education to the practical needs remaining after fighting subsided.

Iraqi Kurdistan: road works and heritage planning

A KRG notice dated 7 February put the 26-kilometre Etit–Ba’adre road in Duhok governorate at 75% complete. It described three phases, a cost of IQD135 billion and ten overpasses and underpasses. These were the government’s reported project figures for that date. [6] Separately, the Municipalities and Tourism Ministry announced on 14 February that an Erbil heritage and housing planning project had been launched on 12 February, in cooperation with JICA and UN-Habitat. It concerned areas around the citadel and was linked to the Erbil Master Plan 2050. Implementation was scheduled from March through year-end. [7] The announcement establishes the planned programme, while completion would require later evidence.

Sources and further reading

  1. Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, information note on the Munich Security Conference, 13–15 February 2026.
  2. US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, meeting readout, 14 February 2026; Shaibani, Abdi and bipartisan congressional delegation.
  3. US Government Publishing Office, S.3740, Save the Kurds Act, introduced Senate version, 29 January 2026.
  4. Office of Senator Lindsey Graham, Graham, Blumenthal Introduce Save the Kurds Act, 29 January 2026.
  5. UNICEF, Syria Humanitarian Flash Update No.5, 10 February 2026, pp. 1–4; displacement, relief access, water and education response.
  6. KRG Department of Media and Information, Etit–Ba’adre Strategic Road Project Reaches 75% Completion, 7 February 2026.
  7. KRG Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism, Erbil Heritage and Housing Planning Project Launched, 14 February 2026; launch on 12 February.