Coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Syria is eclipsed by conflict in Europe, economic woes and political upheavals around the world. UN warnings of a flare-up of Syria’s 11-year war barely make themselves heard.
A recent UN report refers to a gradual build-up in recent months of large-scale fighting in Syria on several fronts.
Fighting has abated in recent years after the Assad regime recaptured 70 per cent of Syrian territory with the help of Russia and Iran, while the United States-backed Kurdish fighters that defeated Islamic State militants, and Turkey set up a buffer zone near its border with Syria.
However, in the last six months, fighting and aerial bombardment in the country’s northeast and northwest were increasing, leaving dozens of civilians dead and restricting access to food and water.
In the north of the country, a new Turkish ground operation poses a real threat amid the continued mobilisation and fighting between Turkish and Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish-led opponents.
The flare-up has seen several deadly incidents in recent weeks, including the shelling last month of a crowded market in al-Bab city, where16 civilians were killed, including five children.
Meanwhile, Israel and the US had also continued to engage in operations in Syria mainly against the Iran-backed forces. According to the UN report, Israel had launched dozens of strikes across Syria in the first six months of 2022, including an attack on Damascus International Airport, which prevented the UN from sending humanitarian assistance to Syria for two weeks.
The deteriorating humanitarian situation has been worsened by a cholera outbreak in several regions of Syria, which is believed to be linked to crop irrigation with contaminated water and people drinking unsafe water from the Euphrates River.
Many observers had thought that the war in Syria has come to an end, but as fault lines between various areas, this is far from reality.
The UN recently indicated that more people are in need in Syria than ever before, as an economic crisis further strains access basic goods and services.
Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, millions of men, women, men and children have been affected and suffered violations at the hands of the warring parties. Over 5.6 million have fled the country and 6.6 million are internally displaced.
After more than a decade into the Syrian conflict, peace is elusive. Still, action to bring an end to rights violations and war crimes remains as urgent as ever and so is the need for adequate aid to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.
As winter is approaching, the world should be ready for more heart-rending images from Syrian refugee camps where thousands of children will be in dire need of food and warmth.
With more than ten years of war, one important question remains: how much is the cost that Syrian civilians still have to pay for this conflict?
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