The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has monitored the exodus of dozens of civilian families, fleeing the villages and towns of southern and eastern rural Idlib governorate on September 4, 2023, to escape the recent military escalation by Syrian regime forces who have intensified their artillery and rocket attacks on populated areas. It should be noted that most of the villages and towns that have seen displacement waves are in close proximity to the dividing lines with Syrian regime forces.
The area is under the control of armed opposition factions and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). SNHR condemns the bombardment of populated aeras by the Syrian regime which fails to distinguish between populated areas and military targets. As a result, people’s homes are being destroyed, threatening the lives of these areas’ residents and forcing them to flee.
The international community must provide immediate protection for the forcibly displaced, and address the causes that are leading to more displacement. This includes taking effective steps that ensure the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes through expediting the process of a political transition according to a strict timetable of no more than six months.
