Tens of thousands of civilians in Northeast Syria are facing a worsening displacement crisis, according to the report Human Rights Watch released on Wednesday.
According to the report, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated as armed conflicts have intensified, leading to significant population movements and severe shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and healthcare. Following military operations initiated on November 27 by various armed groups against the Assad regime, HRW reports that over 100,000 individuals have fled to Kurdish-controlled areas, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis.
The influx of displaced people has overwhelmed local authorities and existing infrastructure, with the report further indicating that children are suffering from hunger and exposure, with some families resorting to sleeping in the streets due to insufficient shelter. Adam Coogle, HRW’s deputy Middle East director, emphasized the urgent need for international assistance to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, further noting that the ongoing fighting and instability are displacing civilians into areas that are ill-equipped to handle such an influx.
On November 27, 2024, a coalition of Syrian opposition forces, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA), launched a significant military operation against the government of Bashar al-Assad. This offensive, dubbed “Deterrence of Aggression,” aimed to reclaim territory in the northwest regions of Syria, particularly in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama governorates. The operation was marked by intense fighting and resulted in substantial civilian casualties. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, at least 149 civilians were killed in the first week of the conflict, including many women and children.
The situation is compounded by ongoing hostilities between various factions, including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, further complicating the security landscape in the region. The protracted displacement crisis has not only strained humanitarian resources but has also led to increased competition for limited supplies among host communities.
The humanitarian crisis in Syria remains one of the most severe in the world, with 16.7 million individuals in need of assistance as of September 2024, according to the United Nations (UN).