At least 100,000 Syrians flee regime bombardment in Idlib: aid group

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- At least 100,000 people have fled Idlib in northwestern Syria following blistering attacks by the regime and Russian forces, according to a Turkish aid group . 

“The Syrian town of Idlib’s Maraat al-Numan and its surroundings are under a heavy bombardment. Due to attacks on the region, people are fleeing to Syria-Turkey border. Only in the last week, 100,000 have fled from the south to the north,”  Selim Tosun, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation’s (IHH) media advisor in Syria said in a video on their Twitter account.

Maraat al-Numan is located 33km south of Idlib city.

He added that the group is “delivering emergency aid packages to the families.”

Reuters later cited Tosun as saying that 120,000 have fled.

Syrian civil rescue group The White Helmets has documented the ongoing exodus via Twitter, and has described Maarat al Numan as an “empty and devastated ghost town.”

They declared a state of emergency on Sunday and have launched a campaign to provide urgent aid alongside other local organizations.

Idlib, which is under the control of the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has seen fresh attacks by regime forces, backed by Russian aircraft, who have controlled at total of 35 towns and villages since the start of the operation on Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). 

The Britain-based monitor said Monday that Syrian government forces and the Russian air force continue the bombardment of HTS forces.

Under HTS control since 2017, Idlib is currently home to at least three million people, many of  whom have been displaced before. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in September 2018 to turn the rebel enclave into a buffer zone to protect civilians but the agreement has not been implemented. More than 1,300 civilians have been killed since then, according to Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency (AA) records.

At least 103 militants and 70 regime loyalists have been killed in the last four days, bringing the death toll from both sides to at least 170, according to SOHR. 

Approximately 1,000 Idlib civilians were killed and over 400,000 others were displaced as a result of pro-government offensives in April. Erupting in 2011, the Syrian civil war has so far killed 370,000 people and displaced millions.

A delegation from Turkey's foreign ministry is in Moscow to discuss Syria and other issues such as Putin’s expected January 8 visit to Ankara with Russian officials.

Erdogan said on Sunday that he and Putin are trying to end clashes in Idlib, adding that they will “determine the steps we will take according to the results [of the meeting].”

The Turkish President also said that more than 80,000 people have fled Idlib to the Turkish border.

"In such a case, Turkey will not bear all alone the burden of this migration," Erdogan said, speaking at an event in Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul. 

Russia and China vetoed Friday Resolution 2449 - which ensures the safe access of humanitarian aid for Syrians - during the United Nations Security Council meeting, concerning international organizations who have been benefiting from the resolution since 2014. 

“The Russian and Chinese vetoes of Resolution 2449 today is a new low. The price will be paid by the long-suffering people of Syria unless this decision is reversed before January 10,” said the International Rescue Committee (IRC), referring to the date when the current renewal of the resolution expires. 

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