The United Nations said that the number of people who have been displaced in Dara’a province has doubled over the past two days as the Assad regime and Russian air forces continue to pound the rebel-held areas in the province. The dramatic increase in the numbers of people fleeing the bombardment indicated that widespread war crimes against are taking place against civilians.
The number of people forced to flee their homes in southwestern Syria as a result of the two-week escalation in fighting has climbed to 270,000 people, the UN refugee spokesman in Jordan said.
The United Nations said last week 160,000 had been displaced as they fled heavy bombardment and mostly took shelter in villages and areas near the Jordanian borders and the occupied territories.
“Our latest update shows the figure of displaced across southern Syria has exceeded 270,000 people,” Mohammad Hawari, UNHCR’s Jordan spokesman told Reuters.
The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the southwest caused by the escalating fighting that erupted after a Russian-backed Assad forces offensive to recapture rebel-held southern Syria.
President of the Syrian Coalition Abdurrahman Mustafa earlier said that “Dara’a is under fire,” pointing out that many people fled their homes to places where there is no bombings.”
“Russian jets are burning people and stone, while the Iranian and Assad militias are committing war crimes,” Mustafa said. He questioned the commitment of the friends of the Syrian people to support the FSA groups and stand on the side of the Syrian people in their struggle to regain freedom and dignity. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
