NEW YORK: At least 370,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Syria since November 27, the UN secretary-general’s spokesperson said Friday.
“Since the escalation of hostilities, at least 370,000 people including women and children have been displaced, including 100,000 who left their homes more than once,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
The spokesperson said, “Most of the displaced are women and children.”
Dujarric further said that emergency shelters are reaching their limits and as a result, people have resorted to sleeping on the streets or in their cars in sub-zero temperatures as winter sets in, DW reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said thousands of people had begun fleeing on Thursday night toward western coastal regions, a stronghold of the government, Reuters news agency reported.
A resident of the coastal area said thousands of people had begun arriving there from Homs, fearing the insurgents’ rapid advance.
On Friday morning, Israeli air strikes hit two border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamieh said.
The Syrian State News Agency (SANA) said the Arida border crossing with Lebanon was out of service due to the attack.
Last week, insurgent armed groups launched a surprise offensive and took control of Aleppo city, home to 2 million people.
As the insurgents pressed their offensive, Jordan and Russia on Friday urged their citizens to leave Syria, Reuters news agency reported.
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Pakistan has also issued a fresh advisory urging nationals to exercise extreme caution in Syria due to the rapidly evolving security situation.
“In view of the recent developments and the ongoing conflict, Pakistani nationals are strongly advised to avoid unnecessary travel to Syria until the situation stabilizes,” the country’s Foreign Office stated in a press release.
Syria’s conflict killed over 305,000 people between 2011 and 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Office stated in 2022.
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