Turkish aid agency alarmed by dire humanitarian situation in Syria's Idlib

The Turkish Red Crescent says there are 400 camps with almost a million people living in makeshift shelters in Idlib.

Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kinik says people in Idlib cannot produce anything and are dependent on outside help.
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Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kinik says people in Idlib cannot produce anything and are dependent on outside help.

The Turkish Red Crescent on Wednesday expressed alarm over the "drama" of the humanitarian situation in northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, saying almost a million people are living in hundreds of largely makeshift camps.

But with Turkey launching a military mission to implement a de-escalation zone in the province, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kinik expressed his hope that aid operations could be expanded across the province.

"In Idlib, the humanitarian situation is, unfortunately, on a large-scale..." Kinik said.

He emphasised that people displaced by Syria's civil war had come to Idlib from other cities including Aleppo, Homs, Hama and Damascus.

Turkey hosts more Syrian refugees than any other country in the world. The country has spent around $30 billion helping and sheltering refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

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"Dependent on outside help"

"In Idlib there are 400 camps and 800,000 people are living in these camps most of which are unfortunately makeshift in nature," he said.

"They cannot produce anything and are dependent on outside help."

He said the population of Idlib - which has now ballooned to three million with the refugees - was hit by air raids and fighting between militant groups.

But the Turkish army last week began an operation aimed at imposing security in Idlib which for the last months has been controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). 

In the past, the HTS was linked to Al Nusra Front that was Syrian branch of al Qaeda.

The army is setting up observation posts with the aim of implementing a de-escalation zone co-backed by Russia and agreed at peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana.

"We'll reach all areas"

Kinik said that once "terror groups" are pushed out of Idlib "we will reach all areas inside" the province.

The Turkish Red Crescent is already carrying out cross-border operations to deliver aid into Idlib in coordination with the UN.

It has stocked up seven depots inside Idlib province with tents, food and other supplies to help the refugees and prepare for any new arrivals.

Kinik said that he would at the weekend be meeting with the head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in Beirut. 

"We have just one aim, to make sure there is not one place inside Syria that humanitarian aid cannot reach."

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