Over 1 million people displaced across Syria since Nov. 27: UN
3 Min Read
OCHA highlights in a statement that nearly 640,000 people fled the Aleppo governorate, 334,000 left Idlib, and 136,000 fled Hama.
-
Syrians wait on the road to cross into Lebanon near the Masnaa crossing border, as seen from east Lebanon, Wednesday, December 11, 2024. (AP)
More than 1.1 million people, primarily women and children, have been displaced across Syria since the escalation of hostilities between different factions starting on November 27, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“As of 12 December, 1.1 million people have been newly displaced across the country since the start of the escalation of hostilities on 27 November. The majority are women and children,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.
According to the statement, nearly 640,000 people fled the Aleppo governorate, 334,000 left Idlib, and 136,000 fled Hama.
Among those displaced are more than 100,000 people who have fled into Kurdish-administered areas in northern Syria amid escalating factional fighting and fears of retaliatory attacks.
Tensions appear to be concentrated primarily in the town of Manbij, northeast of Aleppo, and the town of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria.
On Sunday, the Syrian armed opposition seized control of Damascus. Russian officials confirmed that President Bashar al-Assad stepped down and has sought asylum in Russia.
Mohammed al-Bashir, who previously led an Idlib-based administration formed by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and other opposition factions, was appointed interim prime minister on Tuesday.
A group of political forces, societal organizations, and national figures within Syria issued a statement outlining their position on the recent developments in the Syrian arena and their vision for the country's political transition.
The domestic forces condemned in their statement "the wide-scale Israeli aggression on Syrian territory, the occupation of various regions, and the destruction of the Syrian army's capabilities," considering it an imminent threat while also denouncing "the international community's silence regarding this aggression."
The group called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 to organize the political process in a manner that aligns "with the new reality that necessitates the inclusion of all national Syrian forces from political parties, civil society groups, and influential and active figures."
They also urged "Arab countries concerned with Syria’s unity, both its land and people, to confront the Israeli aggression on southern Syria by all means, including the possibility of sending Arab forces to prevent this occupation."
The forces emphasized that the rhetoric of Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, which affirms "the unity of Syrian territory, the preservation of state institutions, the non-sectarian nature of the Syrian state, the prohibition of sectarian incitement, the sanctity of Syrian blood, the cessation of hostilities across all Syrian land, and the preservation of security, civil peace, and the protection of freedoms" requires practical implementation through clear and publicly declared steps to alleviate the concerns and fears of the people, due to certain violations and practices in various areas that contradict the declared speech.
The statement was signed by 43 entities, both individuals and organizations, representing diverse segments of the Syrian public.
Read more: Syria's future cannot be determined by single party: Syrian politician
