Fighting in Syria displacing civilians 'by the minute', UN official warns

About 150,000 people have been forcibly displaced in a week of clashes between rebels and government forces

People displaced by violence arrive at a camp in Tabqa city, northern Syria, on Wednesday. AP

More than 150,000 people have been displaced since intense fighting broke out between Syrian government forces and rebels last week, a senior UN official has told The National.

The continuing violence marks the biggest escalation since 2016, in a country already engulfed in a catastrophic humanitarian situation due to a civil war that began in 2011.

The rebels are now battling the military near the central city of Hama, while the government’s ally Russia is carrying out air strikes against them.

Syrians are being displaced "by the minute", the UN refugee agency's representative in Syria Gonzalo Vargas Llosa said. He added the escalating violence was having a "harrowing" impact on communities.

The latest emergency erupting from the renewed insurgency is stretching thin the existing humanitarian space, Mr Llosa said.

“There are already 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and seven million people remain internally displaced,” he said, adding that in recent months, the situation had been further complicated by the war in Lebanon. Before the civil war, Syria's population stood at about 23 million.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon drove nearly 600,000 people, including Syrians and Lebanese, across the border into Syria, straining already overstretched communities.

Syria's civil war has killed more than half a million people and displaced more than 12 million. The country descended into chaos after a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests, which soon spiralled into an armed conflict drawing in global powers and spawned extremist factions.

Last week rebel forces launched an offensive that captured key territory, including country's second-largest city of Aleppo, taking government forces by surprise.

"Every minute that the fighting continues, more families are forced to flee their homes, enduring unimaginable suffering,” he added calling for an immediate ceasefire," Mr Llosa said.

“We have to hope for the best but still prepare for the worst."

Syrians search for relatives whom they believe were detained in secret cells beneath Sednaya prison near Damascus. EPA

Rescue efforts to find prisoners at Sednaya prison continue. EPA

Israeli soldiers in southern Syria. Reuters

Mohammed Bashir, head of US-listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham's Salvation Government, at a press conference in the rebel-held northwestern Syrian city of Idlib in November. AFP

Crowds gathering at Saadallah Al Jabiri Square in Aleppo. AP

Senior insurgent commander Abu Mohammed Al Julani addresses a crowd at Ummayad Mosque in Damascus. Reuters

Members of the Syrian government security forces are herded into a field by gunmen in Homs, Syria. EPA

A hall inside the presidential palace gutted by fire after Syrian rebels took over Damascus. EPA

A Syrian rebel fighter fires rounds as people celebrate in Homs after the city's liberation from the stranglehold of the Assad regime. AFP

People gather to celebrate the Syrian government's fall at a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. AP

People gather around Umayyad Square in Damascus. AFP

Rebel fighters cheer from the back of a pick-up truck at Umayyad Square having stormed into the centre of Damascus, Syria. AFP

Syrian government forces cross the border into Iraq at Al Qaim. Reuters

A multi-barrel rocket launcher fires at regime troops, in the northern outskirts of Syria's west-central city of Hama. AFP

Syrian Kurds flee their homes in the outskirts of Aleppo. AFP

Hundreds of people have been killed since the beginning of the latest violence, with conflicting claims making the exact number difficult to verify. The UN Human Rights Office (OCHA) said it has recorded “extremely concerning incidents” involving civilians in Syria.

The World Health Organisation representative in Syria, Christina Bethke, said that in Aleppo city, fewer than eight hospitals out of 100 were operating - and at minimal capacity.

Aleppo and its surrounding regions, already devastated by years of fighting, are now under siege.

“Residents face severe shortages of fuel, water, and essential goods, while public services such as healthcare and water supply are only partially functional,” said Mr Llosa. He warned that Aleppo poses a “a very difficult situation” for aid workers” who are doing their best to mobilise relief efforts.

With the majority of displaced people heading to rural Damascus, Homs, Latakia, Tartus, he said the UN was maintaining a strong presence to increase aid.

"We have warehouses stocked with essentials like mattresses, blankets, and food supplies, but our capacity to meet the growing needs is dwindling rapidly,” said Mr Llosa.

“I can tell you that we have sufficient funding to last the next few weeks but not for next few months.”

As the rebel forces advance closer to Hama and fears of further escalation mount, the UNHCR has made an urgent appeal for funding. "We are planning for various scenarios, but planning alone isn’t enough. Without adequate resources, we cannot sustain support for the displaced,” said Mr Llosa.

The situation on the ground remains dire for aid workers as well. "In areas with active military confrontations, our ability to operate is greatly reduced," the representative said. Despite these challenges, the UN remains committed to its mission.

"We have decided to stay in Syria, but we urgently need the fighting to stop,” he added.