UN Syria envoy floats idea of evacuating Idlib civilians
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GENEVA — Fearing a military offensive, the UN envoy for Syria proposed Thursday that civilians holed up in the rebel-held region of Idlib could evacuate to government areas — a move that would send many back into parts of Syria they once fled in its 7-1/2-year-old civil war.
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura expressed fears of a "perfect storm" that could have a devastating impact on nearly 3 million people -- nearly half of whom arrived from elsewhere in Syria -- in the region largely controlled by al-Qaida-linked fighters. It came as Russia, President Bashar Assad's strongest military backer, announced major military drills in the Mediterranean Sea amid growing tensions over the enclave.
"Short of going to Turkey, the civilians have no other option in order not to be where fighting may take place," de Mistura told reporters of the evacuation plan, which is in its early phases and will need to be discussed with regional players. Russia expressed openness to the idea.
The evacuation proposal reflected rising concerns that Idlib could become the site of the latest humanitarian disaster in a country that has faced many of them during a war that has killed over 400,000 people and driven more than 5.5 million to flee abroad.
