December 28, 2019

Anna Murray 

Roughly a quarter of a million people have been relocated in north-western Syria over the past two weeks, leaving the Maaret al-Numan region in southern Idlib almost empty due to an escalation of violence in the province of Idlib, the last major opposition bastion in the country, announced by the United Nations.

Since mid-December, in violation of an August ceasefire agreement and demands for de-escalation from Turkey, France and the UN, Russian-backed forces have pushed on with an offensive on armed fighters in southern Idlib.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday denounced the offensive and cautioned against the killing of "thousands" of civilians in the province by the Syrian government and its allies.

After rising with anti-government protests violently suppressed by security forces, the war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and devastated millions.

Photo:Webshot.