Almost 300,000 Syrians have fled their towns that had either fell to Assad or are still being targeted by heavy bombardment, and headed toward the Turkish border
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in the northern provinces of Idlib and Hama to the Turkish border, following intensified aerial bombardment by the Assad regime and Russia that targeted their regions, amid warnings that the recent wave of displaced civilians can reach two million.
The Syrian regime has seized control over a hundred towns and villages in Hama and Idlib following ongoing Russian-backed aerial attacks.
Almost 300,000 Syrians have fled their towns that had either fell to Assad or are still being targeted by heavy bombardment, and headed toward opposition-held areas.
As temperatures drop and intense shelling unabatedly continues, displaced Syrians face increasing hardships with every passing day, amid warnings by the Idlib Local Council that the new wave of displacement can reach up to two millions.
Roads leading to the Turkish borders from Idlib, which stretch for 22 kilometers between the town of Maaret Masreen and Sarmada, have experienced suffocating traffic as crowds continue to flee areas that have come under unprecedented shelling by the regime.
Over 170 civilians have been killed following the recent campaign of aerial bombardment during the past 10 days by the Iranian and Russian-backed Assad regime.
A large number of schools, mosques, markets and hospitals in the Hama countryside and Idlib were targeted by the recent attacks.
Three hospitals, two mosques and a local market in the towns of Morek, Khan Sheikhun, Saraqib, Resm al-Abyad and Jabriyyeh were some of the latest targets of regime bombardment.
Over 100,000 civilians have poured toward the Turkish borders, and they have been staying out in the open for three days.
Intense efforts have been made to send tarps to civilians near the border by aid foundations, however, there’s a shortage of space in the area to set up camps, according to the head of the Syrian Aid Coordination Unit Muhammed Hasno.
Speaking to Yeni Şafak daily he said that the new wave of displaced Syrians are in urgent need of food and medical aid.
“People can’t go to the market. Schools are closed. Civilian locations and logistic routes have regularly come under shelling.”
Hasno said he prays that it doesn’t rain in the coming days to spare displaced civilians at the border additional hardships.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Russian and Iranian ambassadors following Bashar al-Assad regime’s attacks in Syrian city of Idlib.
Ankara, which is a guarantor for the Astana peace process, has expressed its concern regarding the recent bombardment targeting Idlib and the ensuing wave of displacement to the ambassadors, according to diplomatic sources.
Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed to establish a number of de-escalation zones in Syria during a meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on May 4.
After intensive negotiations between Turkey, which backs the Syrian opposition, and the guarantor of the regime – Russia -- a deal was struck to implement the zones.
As the siege of Eastern Ghouta by the Assad regime continues, the opposition-held region near Damascus has come under ongoing bombardment.
In recent days, 26 civilians have been killed after the Assad regime’s Russian-made jets carried out airstrikes against Eastern Ghouta towns of Arbin and Harasta, which are part of the de-escalation zones agreement.
Following an airstrike that targeted a residential building, the lifeless body of two-year-old Emir was pulled from under the rubble and handed to his grieve-stricken mother who collapsed to the ground.
Additionally, four children have died from hunger and malnutrition, bringing the number of those who succumbed to famine to 670 in the past year alone.
Close to 2,400 Syrians lost eyes and limbs that could have otherwise been treated, due to shortages of medical supplies.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others were displaced, according to UN officials.
