UN warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria
Civilians flee from Idlib toward the north to find safety inside Syria near the border with Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. Syrian troops are waging an offensive in the last rebel stronghold. (AP Photo)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:56 PM PT — Thursday, February 27, 2020
UN officials have warned of the lingering threat of a humanitarian disaster in Syria amid ongoing fighting in the Idlib province. On Thursday, the UN announced hundreds of thousands of people have become refugees in northern Syria due to the offensive by Assad forces in rebel-held areas.
“In northeast Syria, civilians remain extremely vulnerable,” emphasized UN official Ursula Mueller.
“Schools bombed. Communities flattened. Bodies broken. Minds shattered. Families torn apart. Futures — and hopes — stolen.” @unicefchief on the devastating impact of the war in Syria.
We must do more to protect #ChildrenUnderAttack.
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) February 27, 2020
Civilians flee from Idlib toward the north to find safety inside Syria near the border with Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. (AP Photo)
Officials have said all sides must open additional humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave areas affected by fighting. According to the UN, a rising number of Syrian refugees may seek to leave their country in the near future.
“Some 300 people have been killed in Idlib and Aleppo since the start of the year. The situation is worsening by the day. Tens of thousands are now living in makeshift tents, in public buildings, in open air, huddled under trees, exposed to rain and snow in subzero cold of the harsh Syrian winter.” – Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF
UN officials will reportedly consider expanding their mandate in Syria to prevent further violence against refugees and civilians in that country.
Turkish military convoy drives in Idlib province, Syria, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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