"Humanitarian catastrophe": Russian bombings intensify and thousands flee Syria

Russia's forces backed by Assad's army continue attacks against the rebel stronghold in Idlib. A slew of vehicles left the province toward the Turkish border, and relief organizations have described mass migration of thousands of residents. At the same time, Russia vetoed the delivery of aid shipments to the region - but was rejected

"Humanitarian catastrophe": Russian bombings intensify and thousands flee Syria

Thousands of people have fled the strong opposition stronghold in northwestern Syria toward the Turkish border following the intensification of bombings by Russian forces and the Syrian army - area residents and aid teams said on Friday. A long line of vehicles was observed today as she left the city of a-Nu'aman cave, which suffers from the burden of the attacks.

"Thousands participate in the mass migration," described Osama Ibrahim, a rescue worker in the city. "It's a humanitarian catastrophe. We see people walking the streets and people waiting near their homes for cars to get them out of there." According to the rescue teams, six people were killed tonight in airstrikes in a-Na'aman Cave and 11 others were injured in villages in the area.

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"Humanitarian catastrophe." Assistance teams help Syrian displacement (Photo: Reuters)

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According to UN agencies, hundreds of people have been killed this year in attacks in inhabited areas of the province. This is despite the fact that Syria's military campaign and Russia's military launch in April was arrested in August in light of the fragile ceasefire.

According to media outlets in Syria, the army has entered several villages southeast of Idlib. The insurgents say Russian and Syrian forces are taking a scorched-earth policy as they progress.

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Hundreds of dead since the beginning of the year. Ruins in Idlib (Photo: Reuters)

Demolition attack in Idlib, Syria, May 27, 2019 (Photo: Reuters)

Russia and the Syrian army, loyal to President Bashar Assad, deny the indiscriminate bombing allegations on a civilian population. They claim they are fighting the Islamist fighters affected by al-Qaeda.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who in September signed an agreement with Russia to stop the fighting, warned against the resumption of the refugee stream. The president said yesterday that 50,000 people have fled Idlib province. However, he did not specify whether the refugees entered Turkey.

The veto of Russia and China

Russia, backed by China, has today imposed its 14th veto on the UN Security Council since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011, saying aid shipments from Turkey and Iraq should be blocked to millions of Syrian civilians in response to Belgium, Kuwait and Germany's offer for a year Another transfer of humanitarian aid shipments from two centers in Turkey and another center in Iraq, however, vetoed the failure.

After the veto of Russia and China, United States Ambassador to the United States, Kelly Crapo, told the council that it was in shock and the consequences would be devastating. She said the two-state opposition was "careless, irresponsible and cruel."