Turkish Red Crescent aiding Syrian orphans in Idlib

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Red Crescent has maintained its humanitarian aid efforts for war-ravaged civilians in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

In a statement on Saturday, the aid agency said “it has been aiding five refugee camps and over 9.000 children in 12 orphanages in Idlib” where Turkish military forces on Friday crossed over to monitor de-escalation zones as part of an international agreement.

“There are more than one million children -- including babies and those under 5-6 ages -- who lost their mother, father or both in Idlib,” it said, adding that it provided all kinds of aid for these children.

On Friday, the Turkish Armed Forces said it began establishing observation posts in Idlib to monitor de-escalation zones that aim to bring an end to the six-and-a-half-year conflict.

The operation in the northwestern region was launched under a May deal between Turkey, which backs groups opposed to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime, and Russia and Iran, who support Assad.

The agreement -- signed during peace talks in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana -- aims to establish a number of de-escalation zones so as to ensure the continuation of a cease-fire last December between the three guarantor nations.

According to the military statement, the de-escalation zones have been created to “enhance the effectiveness of the cease-fire, end conflicts, bring humanitarian aid to those in need [and] establish the necessary conditions for the return of those displaced”.

Turkey’s latest military mission follows Operation Euphrates Shield, which saw the Free Syrian Army, backed by Turkish forces, clear Daesh from in northern Syria between August 2016 and March.

Syria has remained locked in a vicious civil war since early when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.