Destruction from airstrikes in Idlib, northwest Syria. UN sounds alarm over escalating violence in northwest Syria Peace and Security
A sharp escalation in fighting in Syria’s Aleppo province has displaced thousands of people and caused heavy civilian casualties, with the UN warning that the developments pose a serious threat to regional stability.
The escalation of violence in Aleppo has also spread to Idlib and Hama provinces. In a statement issued on Sunday, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed grave concern about the dramatic changes on the front lines, including the advance of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist organization designated by the Security Council, and the intensification of airstrikes by government forces.
“The latest developments in a country torn apart by almost 14 years of war and conflict pose a grave threat to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security,” he said.
The special envoy called on all parties to respect international law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
“What we are seeing in Syria today is a collective failure to deliver on what has clearly been required for many years,” Pedersen said. stressing the need for a “genuine political process” to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
Humanitarian Crisis
Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said there was a crisis in Aleppo, with violence killing civilians, including women and children, displaced families, and disrupting basic services.
Describing the situation as “tragic,” he called on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and prioritize the protection of civilians, including the safety of humanitarian workers.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the violence in Aleppo has forced thousands of people to flee. A curfew was imposed in Aleppo on Friday and Saturday, and all government institutions, including universities and schools, were suspended. Hospitals are reportedly overflowing with wounded, while banks and ATMs are running out of cash.
“The escalation of fighting comes at a time when countless people, many of whom have already experienced the trauma of displacement, are now forced to flee again,” Abdelmoula said.
He also noted that in recent weeks, even before the escalation of violence in Aleppo, the humanitarian situation in Syria had been complicated by the influx of more than half a million returnees and refugees from Lebanon. Some Lebanese refugees have reportedly already begun returning home.
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