Act for Idlib Now - Stop Bombing of Civilians, Hospitals, Schools, Markets and Fields

As global citizens, we urgently call on you to act and effectively protect Syrian civilians in Idlib from major human rights violations. At the moment, there is 3 000 000 civilians, including 1 000 000 children, 40 % of whom have come there from other previously opposition-held areas (ad 1). We call on you to prevent indiscriminate attacks in what is largely civilian areas, because absolutely nothing can legitimize the deaths, injuries or displacement of the people.

Since April 26, at least 188 attacks on vital civilian facilities have been recorded, of which 58 attacks were on schools, 30 were on medical facilities (8 of which had shared their coordinates in order to prevent such attacks), 15 on civil defense centers and 37 others were on places of worship, with the highest rate of attacks being carried out at the hands of the Syrian-Russian alliance forces (source: SNHR - ad 2). The death toll reached 416 civilians, including 107 children and 62 women. The total number of injuries received in SAMS hospitals reached 1645 injured people, including 331 children and 250 women. The number of total injuries including other NGOs hospitals are probably much higher (source: SAMS - ad 3). On 16 June 2019, SOHR documented the total of 425 civilian deaths including 102 children and 89 women, while 667 of the jihadi groups were killed in the Russian airstrikes and the regime’s shelling as well as 548 members of the regime forces in the shelling by jihadi groups and factions between 30 April 2019 and 15 June 2019. Such colateral damage proportion has to be totally unacceptable (ad 4).

Since April, 300,000 Syrians have been displaced and had to take refuge in camps near the Turkish border (ad 5). Also, at least 394 cases of arbitrary arrests were documented, including 21 children and 14 women, with the largest number of these carried out by Syrian regime forces (ad 6). The SNHR report also documents at least 961 barrel bombs dropped by Syrian regime’s air force, which resulted in the deaths of 39 civilians, including five children and 12 women, as well as damaging at least 27 vital civilian facilities and at least nine incendiary weapons attacks, all of which were carried out by Syrian Regime forces (ad 7).

It is unaccaptable that eight years into the Syrian conflict, after so much documentation, we’re still seeing hospitals and civilian facilities being bombed, we’re still seeing cluster munitions and barrel bombs being used against civilian population.

It is clear that the Syrian government and its allies have repeatedly violated the international humanitarian law and a number of UN Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2139, resolution 2042, and resolution 2254, all without any accountability.
 
Therefore, we call on the UN to take steps following its adoption of Resolution 2254 and ensure that  any attacks against civilian targets cease immediately and refer the Syrian case to the International Criminal Court so that all those who are responsible are held accountable.
We also call on the Security Council to adopt a resolution banning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, similar to the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.
 
The Syrian regime and its allies must immediately stop the indiscriminate shelling and targeting of residential areas, hospitals, schools, markets and fields, and must stop using prohibited munitions and barrel bombs.
 
And last but not least, the relevant international organizations need to develop urgent operational plans to secure decent shelter for the affected displaced persons.
 
1. Syria war: Why does the battle for Idlib matter? BBC 2019, 4 June 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45403334.
2. Statistics of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Idlib 2019, 16 June 2019, http://sn4hr.org/blog/2019/06/03/53730/?fbclid=IwAR1bx2rdw1sXzmixOfJV3KuQD4ajh8iIXdenHuskFcimF86NHplHzdauE7Y#.
3. Statistics of the Syrian American Medical Society, Gaziantep 2019, 12 June 2019, Mohamed Katoub – SAMS Advocacy Manager, https://www.facebook.com/Katoub.Mohamad/posts/1222334887927095.
4. Statistics of the Syrian Observatory for the Human Rights, Idlib 2019, 16 June 2019, http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=131452.
5. The UN body World Food Programme statement for the situation in Idlib and Hama, Bayram Altug, 11 June 2019, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/300-000-syrians-take-refuge-near-turkish-border-/1501334.
6. Statistics of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Idlib 2019, 16 June 2019, http://sn4hr.org/blog/2019/06/03/53730/?fbclid=IwAR1bx2rdw1sXzmixOfJV3KuQD4ajh8iIXdenHuskFcimF86NHplHzdauE7Y#.
7. Ibidem.