Escalation of Humanitarian Crisis in Syria | News

Seeking Refuge

In today's episode, we discuss the rising humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Hello everyone, my name is Anusha, and welcome back to Seeking Refuge News. Today, we will be talking about the rising humanitarian crisis in Syria.

As international attention centers on the Israel-Gaza crisis, reports indicate an escalation in the bombardment of northwest Syria by Syrian government forces and their Russian allies. Al Jazeera notes on November 14, 2023 that the attacks in October which are concentrated on cities and villages in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo, have resulted in the deaths of 66 civilians, including 23 children, and the injuries of 270, 79 of whom are children, as reported by a Syrian volunteer emergency rescue group. Opposition leaders and emergency volunteers point out that Russia and the Syrian regime are exploiting the world's distraction to intensify their campaign in northwest Syria. The motive is to exert pressure on Turkey and Syrian opposition factions, regarding issues such as the opening the international road between Syria and Turkey.

AP News notes the Syrian government, backed by Russia, intensified its northwest campaign following a drone attack in the government-held Syrian town of Homs, one of Syria’s deadliest attacks in years. David Carden, the U.N. deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria says, “We’re at the most significant escalation of hostilities since 2019. What Syrians want above all is to return home to their homes, but right now they do not feel safe to do so.” Humanitarian agencies and rights organizations have documented strikes hitting hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure, further exacerbating the dire situation in Syria's 13-year conflict, which has so far claimed the lives of over half a million people.

The increased violence in northwest Syria has led to a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of individuals being displaced. According to a report from the REACH initiative published on November 14, 2023, 84,093 individuals departed from 58 communities, with 71% returning to their communities during the assessed period of October 3 from October 17. Simultaneously, 55,157 individuals arrived in 135 communities, but only 11,981 returned to their previous communities. The situation has sparked the largest outburst of violence in the Greater Idleb region since 2019, with airstrikes and shelling causing massive numbers of civilian casualties and displacements.

Furthermore, according to Al Jazeera on November 15, 2023, in a significant development, France has now issued arrest warrants for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, his brother, and two other high-ranking officials, following a criminal investigation into the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria. The warrants are related to chemical attacks in the town of Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013, resulting in the deaths of over 1,000 people.

Thank you so much for listening, and we will see you at the next episode.

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Our Team: Anusha Ghosh (creator), Claire Mattes (researcher), Shireen Kaur, Rohit Swain, Emily Jensen, Diana Clark, Thrisha Mote, Victoria Halsey, Saanvi Somani, Yatin Nerella, Jazmine Rathi