The situation in north-western Syria "Has reached a horrifying level", was alarmed on Monday February 17, the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock. According to UN estimates, some 900,000 civilians have been displaced since 1st December, mainly women and children. In a televised speech, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad pledged to continue his offensive in the Idlib region to "Liberate" the ultimate stronghold held by jihadists and rebels. Martial declarations that raise fears of a humanitarian tragedy.
Since 1st In January, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded the deaths of 298 civilians in Idlib and Aleppo. In addition, ten medical facilities and nineteen educational centers were directly affected or affected by strikes.
Since 2011, the NGO Union of Relief and Medical Care Organizations (UOSSM) has been helping people affected by the war in Syria. Its French president, the anesthetist and intensive care doctor Ziad Alissaexplains how the Idlib area has turned into a trap for civilians fleeing the fighting.
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What is the current humanitarian situation in north-western Syria?
It is simply catastrophic. In the face of the bombing of the Syrian army and its allies – which spares neither civilians nor medical centers – the inhabitants flee massively, with the means at hand, so as not to die. We are talking about tens of thousands of displaced people every day.
The reception structures, where they can be safe, are saturated. Refugee camps are set up in a hurry, but, for lack of means, they lack the necessary: not enough food, no blankets, the wounded cannot be treated… Many civilians find themselves forced to sleep outdoors . It’s winter and the weather is harsh: children have died of cold in recent days.
People no longer know what to do, where to go, where to find refuge. We humanitarians are helpless: the number of people who arrive every day to find help far exceeds the means we have. It is important to remember that this area of north-western Syria no longer has a government: Damascus no longer has control of it and no local executive is in place. No body therefore manages the needs of the population, it is the associations which must ensure this mission.
We have the feeling that NGOs and the United Nations have been warning for months about the threat of a humanitarian disaster in north-western Syria. How can we explain that we are getting there?
It is the same scenario that has been repeated for several years, as soon as a portion of Syrian territory is recovered by the army. Yes, there have been caveats, but little or nothing has been done. At the last Security Council meeting (from the UN, December 20, 2019), Russia and China have used their veto to block the one-year extension of cross-border humanitarian aid. Fortunately, France and other countries close to Syria have obtained a six-month renewal of this device, so until June. But these political-diplomatic battles hamper concrete action on the ground.
In addition, the delivery of humanitarian aid requires the securing of roads, which is not the case in Syria. No difference is made between military groups, medical teams or civilians … We even saw UN convoys targeted! This war does not respect any of the rules in force. Humanitarian assistance cannot cope with the enormous needs on the ground, particularly for these aspects of security logistics.
UOSSM and the UN have reported several recent attacks on hospitals. Are civilians and humanitarians increasingly targeted?
This is a phenomenon that has been observed since the start of the conflict, but which is unfortunately on the increase. However, there have been multi-stakeholder meetings, with guarantees from Turkey and Russia, on the establishment of “de-escalation of violence” zones. (including the province of Idlib). And medical humanitarian associations have communicated their GPS coordinates to the United Nations. Despite this, the bombing continues. For the past 48 hours, army raids in the western suburbs of Aleppo have started targeting two hospitals in the area. This is the scorched earth policy.
💥 Today at 3 p.m., bombing of 2 hospitals, Al-ferdous and Kenana in the western suburbs of Aleppo 30 minutes ago… https://t.co/Ynv6g4xiW4
When we target medical centers, of course we increase the number of victims by incapacitating the structures for helping the wounded. But we are also sending a terrible message to the people by undermining their confidence in a pillar of everyday life, supposed to be spared by the war. Especially since frightened civilians generally flee in haste and find themselves all the more vulnerable. In Syria, this scorched earth policy clearly has a psychological dimension. It is a general punishment for all those who dared to say "no" to the regime.
"The greatest humanitarian tragedy of the XXIe century will only be avoided if the members of the Security Council (…) exceed their individual interests, "said the UN secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. What do you expect from the international community?
At the United Nations, we talk a lot, but we don't react. There has not been the start of a response to meet the humanitarian challenge. Today we have testimonies about the war, images of what everyday life is like in Syria … No one can ignore the reality on the ground.
The international community is not fulfilling its duty to the Syrian people. We are not up to the task of ending the war with a ceasefire or at least ensuring that the rules of war are respected. We are not up to the task of managing the consequences of this conflict by protecting the displaced populations in their country. Finally, we are not up to the task of helping civilians who wish to find refuge abroad, at least to welcome them with dignity when they choose to flee Syria, we let them risk their lives again on makeshift boats or whatever.
In early January, French President Emmanuel Macron brought together NGOs active in Syria at the Elysée to address the humanitarian situation in the country. Did this meeting move the lines? Have concrete measures been taken?
France is making efforts: it fought for the renewal of cross-border humanitarian aid. That’s good, but we must prepare now to face a new veto by the Russians and the Chinese in June. Paris also offers, like other countries of the European Union, financial support to humanitarian associations which allows us to continue working.
Unfortunately, our needs in the field far exceed the means we have. We have to do more and we can do better. We are hoping for a real ceasefire in the region and the establishment of a non-military solution to end the fighting in these areas.
