The biggest military escalation in northwest Syria for over 4 years has forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes, with the number set to increase following today’s fierce street battles in Hama city, Islamic Relief says.
Heavy shelling, airstrikes and ground combat in Hama today are expected to result in a new wave of humanitarian needs and displacement, adding to over 100,000 people who have already fled areas in and around Idlib and Aleppo where ground fighting and aerial bombardment have caused widespread destruction and civilian casualties.
Families are being displaced in sub-zero freezing temperatures, with many women and children now stuck in the cold without adequate shelter and food.
Islamic Relief is distributing heating materials and daily bread supplies to more than 10,000 families, providing hundreds of tonnes of flour to keep bakeries operational, and running mobile health clinics across Idlib and Aleppo governorates.
The past week’s escalation has seen civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools hit by airstrikes, including an Islamic Relief-supported cardiology health centre which is the only facility of its kind in northwest Syria and provides free heart surgery. Schools have had to suspend lessons and blood banks have launched donation drives as there is a massive demand for blood transfusions for wounded civilians.
An Islamic Relief staff member was in the biggest hospital in Aleppo after it was hit by an airstrike. He said, “Over the last three days four major hospitals in Idlib shut down. All of these were hit by multiple airstrikes in Idlib city. And the biggest hospital in Aleppo city was attacked by an airstrike just two days after the government left the area. I was there, I saw blood on the floor, a number of casualties among staff and dialysis patients. It was shocking to see blood on the floor of the hospital.”
Rajab Saleam, Islamic Relief’s head of office in Idlib, said:
“More than 100,000 people have been displaced so far and we’re expecting the numbers to increase even further as the escalation spreads to areas like Hama. Fighting, shelling and airstrikes have been ongoing in Hama throughout today. People being displaced are in need of food, medical care, and support. We are delivering aid across Idlib and Aleppo and we are now preparing to respond to the growing humanitarian needs in Hama too.”
Islamic Relief is calling for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure across northwest Syria, and for safe humanitarian access to people in need. We are calling for international donors to step up commitments to meet the increasing needs in Syria.
Even before this escalation, many families in northwest Syria have been trapped in extreme poverty and hardship after the past 13 years of crisis. This latest escalation is now putting many more lives at immediate risk.
