Syrians flee to N.Idlib amid attacks by Daesh, regime

By Burak Karacaoglu and Ashraf Musa

IDLIB, Syria

Thousands of Syrian families have been fleeing towards northern parts of the Idlib province amid ongoing attacks by the Russia-backed Assad regime and the Daesh terrorist group.

The attacks have reportedly occurred in the area between the northern and eastern countryside of Syria’s Hama province and in Idlib’s southern countryside.

The violence has prompted some 12,000 families to seek refuge in camps in Idlib and near the Turkish border.

Displaced families have erected makeshift tents and are burning waste for heating.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Muhammed Jafa, the coordinator of local relief agencies, said that 12,000 recently displaced families were congregating at 137 separate meeting points in Idlib.

"Relief agencies weren’t ready to meet these families’ needs," he said.

"The aid available isn’t enough, especially in terms of food and shelter.”

Children, he said, had been the most affected by the poor conditions and now face the threat of starvation due to the lack of food.

Mohamed al-Ateyya, 34, had to leave the town of Sinjar for the village of Qah in northern Idlib near the Turkish border.

"My brother was killed 25 days ago in Sinjar by the bombing. I had to come here, leaving my home and all my memories,” he said.

“We wish the attacks would end so we can return to our homes,” he added.

Mona Hussein, 40, who was also displaced, told Anadolu Agency that she had lost one of her children to a regime attack in southern Idlib and had had to flee north with her daughters.

Notably, Idlib falls within a network of de-escalation zones -- endorsed by Turkey, Russian, and Iran -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating civil war that began in early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.