Humanitarian Catastrophe Now Hits North Western Syria

It all started as a way to get rid of the Syrian rebel forces. But at the worst receiving end right now, are the thousands of civilians that are running for their lives. Syria has become a mass exodus where UN has reported as many as 100,000 people have fled northwestern Syrian region running to the border.

The Russian and Syrian government joint strike is leading to a humanitarian catastrophe, as Maarat al-Numan is being bombed repeatedly. Earlier it was Idlib province from where thousands of Syrians were displaced and moved towards the border into Turkey.

The new exodus is creating the same situation and Turkey has made it clear that it has no capacity left to handle such a big exodus of civilians. It is now confirmed that 80,000 Syrians are already on the move towards Turkey.

Sadly, this seems to be a political pressure game being played by Moscow to get Ankara to buy its terms, a week before both countries meet over a summit.  While Russia jointed hands with Turkey over the northeastern Syrian area to the latter put a buffer zone in place, Russia has also joined hands with Assad regime to rid the militia from the northwestern side now. Hence Idlib has come under firing line again.

Ankara and Russia had entered a military understanding earlier this month over the Syrian buffer zone. This humanitarian crisis is looking like it will further worsen because of a threat by Russian and Chinese vetoes last week of a U.N. Security Council resolution to allow cross-border aid deliveries into Syria from Turkey and Iraq. The current permission expires Jan. 10, after which the U.N. will no longer be able to deliver aid across the borders, unless another resolution is passed.