UN officials raise alarm over intensification in fighting in northwest Syria

NEW YORK: A sharp escalation in fighting in Syria’s Aleppo Governorate has displaced thousands and caused heavy civilian casualties, prompting urgent warnings from senior UN officials about the growing humanitarian crisis and threat to regional stability.

The alarm comes as the fighting spreads to parts of Idleb and Hama governorates and leaving the situation volatile and unpredictable.

Meanwhile, according to the UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), claims that ‘rebel forces’ have taken control of the “majority” of the war-shattered country’s second-largest city, Aleppo.

Russia launched air strikes in response across parts of Aleppo overnight for the first time since 2016, the observers added.

SOHR said more than 300 people – including more than 20 civilians – have been killed since the offensive started on Wednesday.

In a statement on Sunday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen expressed grave concerns over the dramatic shift in frontlines, including advances by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a UN Security Council-designated terrorist group, and intensified government airstrikes.

“In a country torn by nearly 14 years of war and conflict, the latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security,” he said.

He stressed the urgent need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, calling on all parties to uphold international law.

“What we see in Syria today is a mark of a collective failure to bring about what has plainly been required now for many years – a genuine political process to implement Security Council resolution 2254 (2015),” Pedersen added.

Meanwhile, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula underscored the dire humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, where violence since November 27 has claimed civilian lives, including women and children, displaced families, and disrupted essential services.

Describing the situation as “tragic”, he urged all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and to prioritize the protection of civilians, including the safety of aid workers.

“The people of Syria must not endure more suffering, and we urge dialogue to be given an opportunity,” he said.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the violence in Aleppo has forced thousands to flee, many seeking refuge in unsafe open areas. The key M-5 Damascus-Aleppo Highway is inaccessible between Saraqab City (Idleb) and Aleppo.

Curfews were imposed in Aleppo City on Friday and Saturday, and all public facilities, including universities and schools, have been suspended. Hospitals are said to be overwhelmed with injured individuals, while banks and automated teller machines (ATMs) running out of cash.

“This recent escalation of hostilities is coming at a time when countless people, many of whom have already endured the trauma of displacement, are now forced to flee once more, leaving behind their homes and livelihoods,” Mr. Abdelmoula said.

He also highlighted the severity of the long-running crisis, noting that prior to the influx of more than half a million returnees and refugees from Lebanon since September, over 16.7 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance.

“This latest violence adds even more lives that now need to be urgently saved,” he said.