Regime attacks force 151,000 Syrians to flee Idlib in one week

The ongoing attacks by Bashar al Assad regime in Syria and its allies have forced some 151,000 civilians to flee from Idlib, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, over the last week, according to a group that tracks conflict displacements in Syria. 

The forced migration gained momentum in Eriha, Jabal Zawiya and Saraqeb regions of Idlib province due to intensified attacks, Mohammad Hallaj, director of Syria's Response Coordination Group, said.  

With the latest displacements, the number of people displaced from Idlib and Aleppo since November 2019 has mounted to 692,000.

Located in northwestern Syria, Idlib province is the stronghold of the opposition, anti-government armed groups and militants since the outbreak of war in 2011.     

Idlib has come under attack by the regime forces, Iranian-backed militants, and Russian warplanes, forcing hundreds of thousands of Syrians to flee. 

The majority of the displaced people arrived at the camps near the Turkish border while some others took refuge in the areas cleared of terror elements following Turkey's military campaigns in northern Syria. 

Displacement of children 

UNICEF said on Saturday that violence last week forced 6,500 children to flee daily, bringing the total number of displaced children in northwest Syria to more than 300,000 since early December.

The regime, which controls more than 70 percent of Syria, has repeatedly vowed to reclaim the entire country, including Idlib.

Both the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, whose air power has been critical to Damascus' military gains in recent years, deny targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.

The war in Syria has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests.

Displacing the displaced

Many of those living in Idlib had been displaced from war in cities elsewhere in Syria and had fled to the northwestern province to survive. 

They are now struggling to find shelter as refugee camps are overcrowded and lack essential infrastructure. Thousands of families are in dire need of humanitarian aid as they struggle to live under harsh winter conditions.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But, more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces in the de-escalation zone since then as the ceasefire continues to be violated.

In a fresh move, Turkey announced on January 10 that a new ceasefire in Idlib would start just after midnight on January 12. However, the regime and Iran-backed militant groups continued their attacks.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terrorist operations across its border into northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor: Operations Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (October 2019).

More than one million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks over the last year.

Since the war started in Syria in 2011, Turkey has accepted some 3.7 million Syrians who fled their country, making it the world's top refugee-hosting country.