Freezing babies, 900,000 displaced: Syria's humanitarian crisis breaks record

The United Nations warns that the situation in northwestern Syria is out of control after the regime has made rapid progress in the last strongholds of rebels in Idlib and Aleppo. Despite the largest wave of refugees since the start of the war, Assad does not intend to stop:

Freezing babies, 900,000 displaced: Syria's humanitarian crisis breaks record

Nearly 900,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced from their homes in Idlib province since the start of the Syrian army in December - two UN officials said today, with the expansion of the displacement wave and unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the nine-year war. In the camps, babies freeze to death from the prevailing cold in the northwest.

Despite these numbers, Syrian President Bashar Assad shows no signs of stopping the offensive backed by Russia and during which direct clashes with the Turkish army have occurred. In a speech broadcast by state television, Assad said the rapid gains in the field signaled the final defeat the rebels would wage against him, but he warned that the conflict was nearing an end.

"We know that this release does not mean ending the war or crushing all the schemes or countering terror or surrendering the enemy, but it undoubtedly reminds them of their failure," Assad added. "It's a prelude to the final defeat, sooner or later." He said, "The battle for the liberation of Aleppo and Idlib will continue, much like the battle for the liberation of all Syrian land."

In the blink of an eye on Putin, Assad explores Erdogan's boundaries in Idlib

Syrian refugees in northwestern Syria camp today (Photo: Reuters)

Syrian children in makeshift refugee camp in the village of Katma, west of Gaza City, February 17, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

The attack on Idlib runs counter to the ceasefire agreements signed between Russia and Turkey, which backs the rebels. It has created tensions between the two countries, whose relations have been good in recent years despite their support for rival sides in the war.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened in recent days that if Assad's forces do not withdraw from the territories held by the rebels in Idlib by the end of the month, his forces will do so. Ankara has sent thousands of troops and hundreds of convoys of military equipment to reinforce its outposts in the province, set up as part of an agreement signed with Russia in 2018. Thirteen Turkish soldiers have been killed in fighting in Assad's army over the past two weeks.

Syrian President Assad at the opening of his meeting with Iranian Speaker Ali Larijani in Damascus February 16, 2020 (Photo: AP)

In an attempt to resolve the crisis, Turkey and Russia today launched a new round of talks in Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Islamist organizations' attacks on Russian bases and Syrian military positions are ongoing and that "they cannot help but respond." He said Russian and Turkish forces in the area were working to calm the situation and were in continuous contact "with full mutual understanding". However, the Syrian army said it would continue "in its sacred and noble mission to rid the remnants of terrorist organizations wherever they may be in Syria."

Scorched Earth

As of December 1, cities, towns and villages in northwestern Syria have been bombarded, including today. Medical officials told Reuters that two hospitals in the Darat Iza region, near the Turkish border, had to close their doors due to Russian and Syrian air strikes. Witnesses told of air strikes also in southern Idlib, where the opposition describes a "scorched earth" policy that left dozens of communities in ruins.

David Swanson, a United Nations spokesman, said today that more than 40,000 people have been displaced from their homes in western Aleppo, one of the main fighting centers, in the last four days alone.

Mark Lukuk, head of humanitarian services and the United Nations Emergency Assistance, said the crisis "has reached a new appalling level." Mothers burn plastic to warm their children, babies and young children die because of the cold. "

He warned that the acts of violence in northwestern Syria were "indiscriminate" and hit hospitals, schools, residential areas, mosques and markets. "Schools are closed, many medical facilities are closed. There is a great danger of a disease outbreak. Basic infrastructure is falling apart," he said. He said the DP camps were also attacked and that the widespread aid operation from the Turkish border was insufficient.

Among Assad's recent achievements, backed by pro-Iranian militias, was the re-conquest of the 5M freeway, which connects Aleppo and Damascus. In doing so, the freeway between the two largest cities in the country was reopened for the first time in several years.

Aleppo International Airport is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, while M5 is scheduled to be used by civilians by the weekend. Aleppo, past Syria's economic center, was crushed during the fighting between the regime and the rebels, which was decided in 2016 for Russia's air aid. In addition, the regime's media reported that another international road was opened from northern Aleppo to the border with Turkey.