Millions of Syrians have been internally displaced because of the years-long conflict, many trapped in the northern part of the country where they have been isolated by the fighting and rely almost entirely food aid to stay alive. Now the coronavirus has spread into the region and earlier this month the United Nations voted to stop using one of just two international borders open for aid. Activists say food and medical supplies for civilians are now being used as a weapon of war
Geir O. Pederson, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, briefs the open video conference with Security Council members in connection with the Middle East
Syrian refugees in Turkey are reeling from the pandemic lockdown that has put most of them out of work. Families say in Syria, they hid in their homes, fearing bombs or bullets outside. Now they are locked down fearing the virus, homelessness and hunger
A woman who has three children and whose family was displaced twice in the past eight months told Amnesty International: “My daughter, who’s in first grade, is always afraid… She asked me [after we were displaced]: Why doesn’t God kill us?… Nowhere is safe for us.’”
In the Oronte valley, in the three villages Knaye, Yacoubieh and Gidaideh – about 50 km from Idlib – hundreds of Christians are still there together with priests Hanna Jallouf and Luai Bsciarat, both Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, who remained to carry out the pastoral work in that territory still subject to the domination of the jihadist militants of Tahrir al Sham, opponents of the Syrian government. In the last few days, the military conflict in the area has taken on a level of semi-truce, both because of the precautions taken by the various parties involved to avoid contagion from Covid-19, and above all because of the ceasefire agreement negotiated at the beginning of March between Russia and Turkey, forces that in the field of conflict support respectively the Syrian government army and the anti-Assad militias
Amnesty says that since the start of the crisis in Syria in 2011, anyone perceived to oppose the Syrian government is at risk
The Russian-backed Syrian government push to capture the Idlib province in northwest Syria has worsened the humanitarian situation as nearly 1 million civilians have been forced to flee eastward to safer locations. VOA’s Zana Omer filed this report from Manbij, Syria
It’s already being called a humanitarian ‘catastrophe,’ and analysts say the fighting in Idlib, Syria is moving closer to more heavily populated areas. And while international aid organizations call for an immediate ceasefire
Displaced children and families are moving north toward safer parts of rural Idlib and Aleppo, taking refuge in schools, mosques, unfinished building and shops under rudimentary conditions. Thus, adding to their vulnerability and exacerbating their need for urgent humanitarian assistance as well as basic services, a need continuing to grow by the hour.
Malaysian police were working with unnamed third parties in the region to reach out to those citizens in Syria and begin the repatriation process, and the Malaysian government would decide whether to allow them to return home, Ayob said