Manchester humanitarian charity, Human Appeal, has condemned the shelling of Idlib over the weekend and launched an emergency appeal to provide assistance to those affected.

It’s estimated that around 205,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of November and this weekend’s violence is the latest of a series of attacks targeting hospitals, schools and mosques.

Entire communities have been forced from their homes over the weekend with 18,000 people fleeing in a single day, joining the 60,000 people who had fled in the days immediately before, mostly to Turkey. 26 people have been killed, including several children.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Human Appeal mobile clinic team has been out on the ground in Idlib providing basic health care services to internally displaced people who are still within the area. Elderly patients who have managed to escape the bombardments are being treated at Human Appeal’s hospital.

Families who have managed to escape are in urgent need of the most basic supplies. Human Appeal has been welcoming displaced families at the Bab al-Hawa international border crossing between Syria and Turkey, providing water and bread to 350 families.

Ensuring that displaced people receive emergency assistance as soon as possible after these attacks is vital, especially as winter takes hold and families are at even greater risk.

Dr Mohamed Ashmawey, Human Appeal’s CEO, said:

“Human Appeal strongly condemn this escalation of violence, which has needlessly taken the lives of children and displaced thousands of families. We urge the global community to find a solution to this near decade-long conflict that does not continue to result in these grave consequences.

“Our mission is to support the innocent victims of this violence and we are doing everything we can to provide desperately needed assistance to internally displaced families. Given the increasingly hostile situation that is unfolding, it is of paramount importance that cross-border aid delivery continues unimpeded through all available means.

“Please enable us to do all we can to help the people of Syria by donating to our emergency appeal.”

Notes to Editors

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Human Appeal (www.humanappealusa.org) is one of the USA's fastest growing charities. With a presence in 25 countries, spanning Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, we help in times of crisis and we deliver sustainable development programmes in the world’s poorest nations.