What’s happening

The humanitarian crisis inside Syria has reached a “horrifying new level” as nearly a million civilians have been forced to flee bombing raids and ground assaults by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, a United Nations official said.

Syria has been the scene of a brutal civil war since 2011, when opposition forces attempted to overthrow Assad. With the aid of devastating Russian bombing campaigns, the Syrian army has reclaimed nearly all territory once held by the opposition. The last rebel-held areas are in Idlib province in northwestern Syria.

Over the course of the war, refugees from across the country have been bussed to Idlib as Assad’s forces took back control of more territory. The Syrian army launched an offensive into Idlib in December with the goal of stamping out the last remnants of opposition and ending the war. The army’s advance — bolstered by bombing raids on civilian targets and hospitals — has forced hundreds of thousands to retreat.

More than 900,000 people, 60 percent of them children, have been displaced, according to the United Nations. Refugee camps along the Turkish border have been overwhelmed. Many people have been forced to sleep outside in below-freezing temperatures. There have been several reports of children freezing to death.

As dire as the situation is now, humanitarian groups warn that it could become much more severe if the Syrian army continues its advance. The offensive could push millions more people in Idlib from their homes. On Thursday, at least 22 Turkish soldiers inside Syria were killed in an airstrike, sparking fears that tensions could escalate into war, with millions of civilians in the line of fire. Idlib could become “the biggest humanitarian horror story of the 21st century,” the U.N. official said.

Why there’s debate

Aid organizations have called for the international community to step in to help resolve the situation and prevent it from escalating. Military intervention appears unlikely, but experts hope that diplomatic pressure from the U.S. or major European nations could help. The best place to aim that pressure, they believe, is on Turkey and Russia. The two countries agreed to create a “de-escalation zone” in Idlib in 2018, but the deal broke apart after less than a year. There are hopes that the escalating situation along with international pressure could compel Russia and Turkey to establish a more enduring safe zone. Read more

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