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Germany urges end to deadly Idlib campaign

December 29, 2019

The German foreign minister has urged Syria's warring parties to cease fighting and secure "a lasting ceasefire." Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled a fresh Russian offensive in Idlib province.

https://p.dw.com/p/3VSPG
Syrian families, who have been forced to displace despite attacks carried out by Assad regime and Russia, sit on soil field despite the cold weather during winter season at Harbanush village in Idlib
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AA/M. Said

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Sunday called for an end to the fighting in the Syrian province of Idlib as hundreds of thousands of people fled Russian and regime bombardment.

"The humanitarian situation in Idlib is already catastrophic and is getting worse due to the fighting," Maas told the Funke Media Group. "An immediate end to the attacks and a lasting ceasefire are needed."

Maas, a member of the Social Democrats, announced an additional €7 million ($7.8 million) in funding for a UN program tasked with providing assistance at the Syrian-Turkish border.

Read more: Offensive in Syria's Idlib puts strain on EU-Turkey refugee deal

People demonstrate against the air and ground bombardment by Syrian government forces in southern and eastern Idlib province
Protesters have taken to the streets in Turkey to oppose air and ground operations by Syrian government forcesImage: picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis

Fresh offensives

Idlib has been rocked by a fresh Russian offensive that has forced more than 200,000 people to flee the area, triggering what Turkey has described as a new wave of refugees.

Over the past two years, thousands of hard-line rebels were transferred from battlefronts in other parts of Syria to Idlib as part of government-backed ceasefire deals. Those transfers have consequently made Idlib the final bastion of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad as well as a hotbed of extremist groups.

Turkey has refused to leave 12 observation outposts in Idlib, saying they are recognized by an agreement with Moscow. Earlier this week, one outpost was surrounded by regime forces after they broke through rebel ranks, a move that nearly opened a new front in the conflict.

Read more: Syrian civilians flee Idlib in wake of Russian-supported attacks

'Protect civilians'

The European Union also joined calls for an end to shelling and airstrikes that have caused "countless civilian deaths."

"The escalation of violence in the northwest of Syria by the Syrian regime and its allies must cease," said a spokesperson for EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. "All parties have the obligation to protect civilians. The regime and its allies must cease indiscriminate military attacks and respect international humanitarian law."

More than 300,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011. What began as anti-government protests calling for Assad's ouster has transformed into a multi-front conflict drawing in superpowers, regional forces and nonstate actors.

Read more: Germany caught between Turks and Kurds in Syria

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ls/sms (AP, AFP)