Syria: demonstration for the twelfth anniversary of the anti-regime uprising

Several thousand Syrians demonstrated on Wednesday March 15 in the city of Idleb to mark the twelfth anniversary of the first demonstrations against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 and to express their refusal of any "normalization" with

.

The brutal repression of this uprising in the wake of the "

" had triggered a deadly civil war, which has become more complex with the intervention of several actors over the years, and led to the isolation of Bashar al-Assad on the diplomatic plan.

More than 500,000 dead

The conflict enters its thirteenth year on Wednesday with more than 500,000 dead, several million displaced and a deep economic and humanitarian crisis.

The country was also hard hit by the deadly earthquake of February 6, which also hit neighboring Turkey.

"

," Corinne Fleischer, regional director of the Programme, told reporters. World Food Organization (WFP) in Dubai.

The needs have reached a record since 2011, with 12.9 million people affected by food insecurity, underlines Corinne Fleischer, specifying that the WFP needs 700 million dollars until the end of 2023. For its part, UNICEF has warned on Wednesday that millions of children were at increased risk of malnutrition after 12 years of conflict and the recent earthquake.

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“The search for a lasting peace”

The organization said it needed $172.7 million for immediate life-saving assistance to the 5.4 million people (nearly half of whom are children) affected by the February 6 earthquake.

In a joint statement, the UN's regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, Muhannad Hadi, and the UN's resident coordinator in Syria, El-Mostafa Benlamlih, however, considered that humanitarian aid alone was "not

", emphasizing the need for a "

".

“

,” they say.

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Meanwhile, President Assad is paying an official visit to Moscow, which has provided decisive military support to the Syrian army in the war, while to Idleb (northwest), the last enclave resisting his regime despite years murderous offensives supported by Russia, thousands of people demonstrated carrying flags and banners of the Syrian opposition.

Meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, March 15, 2023. SPUTNIK / REUTERS

“Freedom and dignity for all Syrians”

"

" or "

", could be read on two banners on the facade of a building in the main square of the city.

Areas beyond Damascus' control in northern Syria currently have more than four million inhabitants, at least half of whom are displaced.

"

," Abou Chahid, a 27-year-old protester, told AFP: "

".

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Demonstrations also took place on Wednesday in the Kurdish-held town of Tabqa in central-north Raqa province, an AFP photographer reported.

The Kurds, hostile to Turkey, fear paying the price for a possible rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus, at a time when the Kremlin is stepping up its efforts to reconcile Turkey and Syria, which have been at odds since 2011.

Demonstration for the twelfth anniversary of the anti-regime uprising, in Idlib, Syria, March 15, 2023. OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP

The devastating earthquake of February 6 gave rise to intense "

" which allowed President Assad to come out of his isolation somewhat, as several Arab countries resumed contact with him to send aid to his country.

But, "

", promises AFP a demonstrator in Idleb, Salma Seif, 38, displaced from Damascus.

"

," said Ali Hajj Sleiman, 24 years old and disabled since an airstrike by the regime which seriously injured him, a few meters away.