A British parliamentarian has urgently called on the United Kingdom government to respond to the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in northeast Syria, where renewed fighting has displaced tens of thousands and raised fears of a resurgence of Islamic State (IS)-style threats.

Feryal Clark, Labour MP for Enfield North, wrote to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that Kurdish communities and other minorities face severe risks amid political uncertainty and military escalation. She cited estimates from Kurdish authorities that over 150,000 people have been displaced since January, with Syrian government forces moving into areas east of Aleppo following the withdrawal of U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

In her letter, Clark accused Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led authorities of releasing IS detainees and carrying out indiscriminate attacks on Kurdish areas—actions she said risk reviving an “ISIS-era” threat under a new state-like structure. While welcoming recent Foreign Office calls for de-escalation, Clark stressed that “the pace and scale of events demanded a stronger response.”

She urged the U.K. to issue a public condemnation at the United Nations, pursue targeted sanctions, intensify diplomacy with allies, and ensure protected and funded humanitarian access. “Inaction risked normalizing violence and emboldening perpetrators,” she wrote.

The crisis has drawn attention beyond the U.K. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned that abandoning Kurdish allies would be a “moral and strategic disaster,” endorsing bipartisan U.S. Senate action to protect them.

Nadine Maenza, president of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat and a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center, emphasized that the international community must demand a sustained ceasefire and oppose regime entry into Kurdish-majority areas, which are also home to Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities. She separately warned of severe shortages of food and fuel in Kobani, calling for immediate humanitarian access.

The UNHCR reiterated the need to pair lifesaving aid with dignity and long-term solutions for the displaced across Syria and the region.

Against this backdrop, Syria’s government and Kurdish forces announced on Saturday a 15-day extension of a ceasefire, citing support for a U.S.-led operation to transfer IS detainees from Syria to Iraq. The Syrian defence ministry said the extension, effective from 11 p.m. local time, aimed to facilitate the handover of detainees held by the SDF.

The SDF confirmed the extension was reached through international mediation, with dialogue ongoing with Damascus. The group stated it remains committed to de-escalation and civilian protection.

Washington plans to move up to 7,000 IS detainees to Iraqi prisons after Kurdish forces lost territory to Syrian government troops. Transfers of European nationals began earlier this week, with a second batch of up to 1,000 moved on Saturday. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested the ceasefire could be extended further in light of the operations.

The truce follows broader negotiations over Kurdish-majority areas in Hasakeh province and talks on integrating Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. Kurdish sources say proposals include Damascus managing border crossings while sharing revenues, including from oil, with Kurdish regions.