The Assad regime’s and Russia’s ongoing bombing campaign in northwestern Syria has so far killed 268 people and displaced thousands more, a relief aid group said on Monday.
According to a new report by the Emergency Response Coordinators Team, the bombing campaign, which has entered its 11th week, has forced some 200,000 people out of their homes in northwestern Syria although the area is covered by the ‘de-escalation zone’ agreement.
The report indicated that the bombardment killed at least 14 civilians last week, including five children. The figure has brought to 268 the number of total civilian deaths, including 96 children, since the start of the bombing campaign in early February. The bombings have also left dozens more injured and resulted in massive destruction to residential neighborhoods and infrastructure.
According to the report, the bombing campaign has so far displaced more than 197,574 people comprising 31,713 families who sought refuge in around 35 sub-districts in the Euphrates Shield area and northwestern Syria.
The aid group said that the Assad regime and Russian forces bombed more than 83 towns and villages in northwestern Syria, namely in the provinces of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama. The bombings targeted IDP camps, schools, and field hospitals.
The Team condemned the continued hostile military actions by the Assad regime and Russia against civilians in Idlib and surrounding areas, which it said were aimed at “emptying the demilitarized zone” of civilians.
The Team called on the international community and concerned international organizations to shoulder their responsibilities with regards to the protection of civilians in the province of Idlib. It called on humanitarian organizations and agencies to exert more efforts to provide urgent assistance to the displaced people. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
