The humanitarian crisis is the worst Syria has seen in the last nine years
Right now the 3.5 million residents of Idlib, northwest Syria, are trapped under Syrian regime and Russian bombs and have nowhere left to flee.
These are the people who opened their homes and hearts to hundreds of thousands of Syrians who were forced to flee from other parts of Syria after surviving terrible violence and starvation sieges across the country. They’re the people who resisted both the Syrian regime and extremists, and who dared to hold elections and create civil society that inspired many around the world.
Idlib has been under attack since 2012, including by chemical weapons and other internationally prohibited weapons, but what is happening today is unlike anything the province has witnessed before.
At least 1,648 civilians including 392 children have been killed since the regime escalated its campaign to retake Idlib in April. Syrian and Russian warplanes are bombing civilians in their homes and busy markets. They’re targeting the rescue workers who rush to carry the injured to safety and the doctors who treat them in hospitals.
Entire towns and cities have been destroyed and emptied of their residents. Since last April, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced, and are now taking shelter in muddy, overcrowded and underserved camps near the border with Turkey. The humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day but the funding for heroic local groups is pitiful.
These attacks are being carried out by the Syrian regime and Russia in violation of international law and countless ceasefire agreements and UN Security Council resolutions.
The killing of children in their sleep and as they study, and of humanitarian workers as they save lives, has to stop and can be stopped. But the international community is turning its back on Syrian civilians as it has done for the past nine years, which is precisely why Assad and Putin continue to commit those crimes. They know there are no consequences.
We cannot look the other way. Here are five things that you can do today to shine a spotlight on the crisis and compel world leaders to protect civilians against Assad’s war crimes in Idlib.
Your name alongside thousands of others will put pressure on international decision makers to urgently take action.
Amidst the bombing, the White Helmets rush to pull men, women and children to safety, when anyone else’s instinct is to flee the destruction. You can donate to Idlib’s volunteer emergency rescue workers here.
This award-winning documentary follows one family’s struggle to survive the bloody siege on Aleppo. Watch it with friends and family to support Syrian filmmakers risking their lives to expose the reality of war crimes on ordinary people. Bring ‘For Sama’ to your school or community by requesting to host a screening and check actionforsama.com/take-action on how you get involved in the filmmakers campaign.
You can keep Syria on the political agenda. This briefing equips your representative to demand action on war crimes in Syria and humanitarian relief for the millions that need it.
Find your UK MP’s email address here.
Find your US representative’s email address here.
You can stay up to date with what’s happening in Idlib and support groups on the ground by following them on social media:
The Syria Campaign
Syrian Civil Defence (The White Helmets)
Act for Ghouta
Molham Team
Violet Organization
For news and analysis follow Al-Jumhuriya English
Some suggested Tweets:
To the UN: click here to tweet this
.@antonioguterres 3 health facilities attacked in 24 hours. The doctors and humanitarians of Idlib are inviting you to witness the evidence for yourself. Go to Idlib and stand with them #SaveIdlib #GuterresVisitIdlib
UK: click here to tweet this
Save Idlib! What steps are @BorisJohnson @DominicRaab @foreignoffice taking to stop Syrian regime & Russian bombardment of civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria? Humanitarian crisis escalating #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
USA: click here to tweet this
Save Idlib! What steps are @StateDept @realDonaldTrump @SecPompeo taking to stop Syrian regime & Russian bombardment of civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria? Humanitarian crisis escalating #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
Germany: click here to tweet this
Save Idlib! What steps are @HeikoMaas @AuswaertigesAmt taking to stop Syrian regime & Russian bombardment of civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria? Humanitarian crisis escalating #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
In German: click here to tweet this
Rettet Idlib! @HeikoMaas @AuswaertigesAmt. Welche Schritte unternehmen Sie, um die Bombardierung der Zivilbevölkerung in Idlib, Nordsyrien, zu stoppen? Die humanitäre Krise eskaliert #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
France: click here to tweet this
Save Idlib! What steps are @JY_LeDrian @francediplo taking to stop Syrian regime & Russian bombardment of civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria? Humanitarian crisis escalating #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
In French: click here to tweet this
Sauvez Idlib! @JY_LeDrian @francediplo, quelles mesures prenez-vous pour arrêter les bombardements de les régimes syrien et russes de civils à Idlib, en Syrie? La crise humanitaire s’intensifie #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
Turkey: click here to tweet this
Save Idlib! What steps are @RTErdogan @MevlutCavusoglu taking to stop Syrian regime & Russian bombardment of civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria? Humanitarian crisis escalating #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn @MFATurkey @trpresidency
In Turkish: click here to tweet this
İdlib’i Kurtar! @RTErdogan @MevlutCavusoglu, Kuzey Suriye’deki ve İdlib’deki Suriye rejiminin ve Rusların sivillere bombardımanını durdurmak için ne yapıyorsunuz? Insani kriz artıyor #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn @MFATurkey @trpresidency
Russia: click here to tweet this
Save Idlib! @KremlinRussia_E @mfa_russia stop the bombardment of civilians in Idlib, Northern Syria! Humanitarian crisis escalating #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn
In Russian: click here to tweet this
Сохрани Идлиб! @KremlinRussia_E @mfa_russia. Останови бомбардировки мирных жителей в Идлибе, в Северной Сирии! Обостряется Гуманитарный кризис. #IdlibUnderFire #SaveIdlib @TheSyriaCmpgn