UN told that situation could be as lethal as sieges of Aleppo and eastern Goutha combined

A new Syrian government offensive to recapture rebel territory in the south-west of the country is endangering the fragile peace process and could provoke a humanitarian crisis worse than that which followed the siege of Aleppo, a senior UN official has warned.

Staffan de Mistura, the special envoy for Syria, told the UN’s security council the attack by Syrian armed forces, backed by Iranian militia, would put more than 750,000 lives at risk. He said more than 45,000 people had already been displaced.

The Russian-backed assault is in one of the “de-escalation zones” that were painstakingly negotiated for by the US, Jordan and Russia last year. The zones were hailed as a sign of Washington-Moscow cooperation by Donald Trump on the sidelines of last year’s G20 summit in Hamburg.

But the Syrian government forces appear to be trying to divide the rebel forces in east Daraa as part of an attempt to retake the area. The region was the birthplace of the Syrian revolution and is diplomatically sensitive because it borders Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. Israel will not tolerate having Iranian militia so close to its border.

De Mistura said the attacks had the potential to be as lethal as the sieges of Aleppo and eastern Goutha combined. He said the assault was also likely to put back the delicate progress he had made on building diplomatic support for a new Syrian constitution.

Speaking to the UN after De Mistura’s briefing, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, Jonathan Cohen, dismissed claims from Russia that it was seeking to de-escalate the crisis, and instead accused Moscow of mounting some of the airstrikes.

“The United States is deeply concerned by the Syrian regime’s new offensive – with direct support from Russia – in the south-west, where ongoing airstrikes, barrel bombs, artillery and rocket attacks are taking a significant toll on the civilian population,” Cohen said.

He said the region had enjoyed relative calm for almost a year because all parties were abiding by the de-escalation zone.

“Once again, Russia is justifying a military offensive by the Assad regime by saying that more than half the de-escalation zone is controlled by terrorists. That is just not true. The predominant armed opposition groups operating in the de-escalation zone belong to the moderate Free Syrian Army”.

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It is unlikely, however, that the US will intervene militarily to protect the opposition fighters.

Thousands of civilians have streamed towards makeshift camps and shelters along Syria’s south-western border but the refugees are unable to enter Jordan because the Jordanian government has closed it.

Moscow is interested in brokering a deal in which Israel allows the Syrian army to take back control of the region, on the understanding that Iranian forces withdraw. But Israeli diplomats are dubious that Russia can deliver on this pledge.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has urged Jordan to take in thousands of Syrians who it says have “nowhere else to turn” as they flee from the Bashar al-Assad’s forces. It said Jordan could not be expected to shoulder the burden alone. Instead, the international community must “offer substantial support”. Aid groups are ready to help potential new arrivals settle in Jordan’s Azraq camp, which could accept 80,000 more people, the council said.