After nine years of conflict, the humanitarian crisis in Syria has reached a “horrifying new level.” Nearly 1 million Syrian civilians have been internally displaced since December as a result of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad’s intensified military operation, backed by Russian airstrikes, to recapture Idlib province. As the last main territory yet to be retaken by the regime, the area has become a refuge of last resort for Syrian refugees and Turkish-backed rebel forces.

Some 3 million civilians, more than half of whom are already internally displaced, are pinned between the armed forces and a closed Turkish border. Throughout the war, as territory fell to government forces, many were given safe passage to Idlib via government buses. The recent airstrikes and shelling in Idlib have forced civilians to run for their lives—the majority of them women and children—towards Turkey.

Since December, more than 200 refugee camps have been hastily set up along the border, many far over capacity. Aid organizations have run out of tents, leaving nearly 170,000 people out in the open, sleeping on sidewalks and under olive tree groves in freezing temperatures.

Changes in logistical operations have also helped fuel the humanitarian crisis. Since 2012, rebel forces had controlled parts of Syria’s M5 highway that were vital for delivering supplies to aid organizations. In December, the Assad regime regained control of the entire highway system, forcing aid groups to rely on slow and unreliable back roads to deliver food, medicine, and other key supplies. To add to the pressure, humanitarian aid workers themselves are now fleeing alongside civilians, with some having been injured or even killed in the airstrikes. Turkey and Russia agreed to a ceasefire on March 6 which, while momentarily stopping the bloodshed, ultimately legitimizes the Assad regime’s territory grab, making a final offensive to fully take over Idlib province likely. 

Now with coronavirus cases officially in Syria, humanitarian and public-health officials are bracing for an explosion of cases in Idlib. Nine years of conflict have left the Syrian health-care system in shambles, especially in Idlib where hospitals and ambulances have been targets for airstrikes. Just in the past few months, 84 health centers operated by humanitarian agencies in Idlib suspended operations due to the bombing. With limited access to soap, water, and other basic sanitation resources and with social distancing out of the question in densely packed camps, a catastrophic outbreak is seen as inevitable. Still, groups such as Doctors Without Borders  are racing to prepare the camps and educate refugees on mitigation strategies, with a hope of saving as many lives as possible. Safety beyond Syria seems ever further out of reach, with Turkey (already home to 3.6 million displaced Syrians), Greece, Cyprus, and others turning Syrian refugees back.

Best regards,

Editor, Migration Information Source