UN: 920,000 Internally Displaced in Syria This Year, Highest Since Start of Civil War

The United Nations said on Monday that more than 920,000 people have been displaced internally in Syria during the first four months of this year, the highest number since the start of the country’s civil war.

According to France Press Agency, Panos Moumtzis, coordinator of humanitarian affairs for the United Nations in Syria, said at a press conference in Geneva: “We are witnessing a widespread wave of displacement within Syria. From January to April of this year, more than 920,000 additional people have been displaced. This is the highest figure in a short period since the start of the civil war.”

Accordingly, based on United Nations statistics, the number of people displaced within the country has reached 6.2 million, and approximately 5.6 million of Syria’s population are refugees in neighboring countries.

Panos Moumtzis said the main reasons for this widespread displacement are intense clashes in areas controlled by rebels in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib province in northwestern Syria, which are almost entirely controlled by jihadist and militant rebel forces.

He added that Idlib is part of the de-escalation zones that Russia, Turkey, and Iran have agreed upon, and warned that intensifying the war in this region, which has a population of more than 2.5 million, would have severe consequences.

In recent days, the Idlib region has been the target of deadly airstrikes, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people, including children.

According to France Press Agency, more than 350,000 people have been killed since the start of Syria’s civil war.

Mr. Moumtzis added: “Our concern is that given the conditions of the Idlib region, more severe catastrophes may occur.”

He said the international community must ensure “a situation similar to Eastern Ghouta does not occur.” Eastern Ghouta was captured after two months of intense assault by Syrian government forces in April.

He said: “We are concerned about the displacement of 2.5 million people in Idlib” and added that the United Nations is planning for the possibility of deteriorating conditions in that area.

France Press Agency recalls that after the capture of Eastern Ghouta and the city of Aleppo and its surroundings by government forces, many rebels and civilian residents of these areas were forced to move to Idlib.

Panos Moumtzis added: “But the people living in Idlib have no other refuge like Idlib to go to. The reality is that Idlib is the last point and there is nowhere else they can be relocated to.”

Meanwhile, armed clashes between various rebel groups controlling Idlib have increased, and Mr. Moumtzis warned that “given the composition of rebel forces, the situation in the region is highly volatile.”

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Syria said that during the past year, the number of people living in besieged areas or other places where humanitarian aid is difficult to reach has decreased, and is now around two million.

However, at the same time, he noted that fewer convoys carrying aid reach these areas, and since January, only nine convoys have been able to reach these areas.

He said the United Nations can send at least three convoys per week, so this year only 11 percent of this capacity has been used, the lowest rate since the start of Syria’s civil war.

According to him, since mid-March, the first shipment of this organization’s humanitarian aid finally managed to reach Eastern Ghouta on Sunday.

Transferring aid to other parts of Syria is easier, and the United Nations currently provides assistance to more than 5.5 million people in various parts of the country.

Panos Moumtzis expressed concern about the lack of necessary budget and said that out of the 3.5 billion dollars needed for humanitarian operations inside Syria, only 26 percent has been utilized.

He added: “Humanitarian operations inside Syria are approaching their end point and our warehouses are empty.”

Source: Radio Farda