Bombardment continues despite truce on paper: Northern Syria on fire, civilians the victims

The northwestern region of Syria is experiencing tragic conditions due to the recent renewed fighting and the general turmoil in the humanitarian situation in the country.

Price of war

The civilian population is paying the price of renewed battles between the Syrian factions that control Idlib and the Iranian militias that are fighting there, at a time when weather conditions are imposing more burdens on those who are stranded and have become residents of camps in northern Syria.

Multinational bombing

It should be noted that the renewed bombardment led to intense fires in the area near the Al-Aramel camp in Idlib and resulted in a number of unidentified dead and wounded due to the charred corpses.

Since the beginning of this year, northwestern Syria has been witnessing bombing by Iranian militias and Russian aviation targeting infrastructure and service facilities, most notably the bombing of Idlib city during January, which resulted in the destruction of the only water station in the afflicted city.

Truce on paper

It is worth noting that the areas of northwestern Syria are included in an agreement signed by Turkey with Russia in March 2020 stipulating a complete cessation of hostilities in those areas to allow humanitarian aid to reach the millions of afflicted. According to statistics, about four million Syrians live in those areas.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, the military targeting of populated areas did not stop.

Turkish military bases are spread throughout Idlib, especially on the southern outskirts, to prevent the expansion of Iran, Russia and the forces opposing them from advancing north. These areas are often subjected to artillery or missile bombardment, or even by drones, and sometimes the Turkish forces launch military strikes against the attacking forces.

No agreement has so far succeeded in stopping the military escalation in and around Idlib, despite the numerous political initiatives agreed upon by the Russians, Iranians and Turks. However, these agreements do not hold up in stopping the violence due to the lack of commitment by the various parties.

In January, the United Nations Security Council succeeded in extending the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Idlib region and northern Hama countryside. However, it should be noted that it is difficult to deliver any aid during periods of military bombardment or powerful weather conditions.

The recent military escalation comes in order to achieve the goal of expanding the control of Russia and Iran in northern Syria, while Turkey wants to maintain a huge buffer strip separating it from the Kurdish areas, which have a close relationship with the separatist Kurds in southern and eastern Turkey.