September 11, 2018•Update: September 11, 2018
By Ahmed Yusuf
DOHA
The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) on Tuesday announced an emergency plan following reports of a potential attack by the regime and its allies in northern Syria's Idlib.
The plan to assist a possible wave of displaced persons will be carried out through coordination with the QRCS mission in Turkey, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and other NGOs.
Makeshift shelters, medical interventions and housing in safe areas will be provided as part of the plan, the aid group said in a statement.
“A temporary reception center will be created to serve up to 2,400 internally displaced people (IDPs) per day with shelter, protection, water and sanitation, food and nonfood aid, and medical care,” according to the statement.
Since the beginning of this month, at least 30 civilians have been killed in Idlib and Hama -- and dozens injured -- by airstrikes and attacks by the regime and Russian warplanes, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency.
The Syrian regime recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which remains under the control of various armed opposition groups.
The UN said in a report in August that, “any military escalation, would lead to the displacement of around 900,000 civilians over the coming six months, including 700,000 people within Idlib alone.
Last week, the UN warned that such an offensive would likely lead to the “worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century”.
