At the launch of their latest report into the conflict – the Independent International Commission of Inquiry described “unprecedented levels of suffering and pain” inside the war-torn country. Those arriving in displacement camps have struggled to find shelter amid freezing winter temperatures that have claimed around 10 children’s lives, Commissioner Hanny Megally said. “The people that are stuck at the border are suffering because of a lack of humanitarian assistance and children have been dying in the cold”, he insisted. “And it’s not clear to me why the international community has not acted urgently to make sure that they are getting the humanitarian assistance they need.” After nearly nine years of war, human rights violations inside Syria have continued to “multiply”, according to the Commission of Inquiry, whose findings principally concern the period between 11 July 2019 and 10 January 2020. “There is a war crime of intentionally terrorising a population to force it to move and I think we’re seeing that picture emerging very clearly for example in Idlib,” Mr Megally said, amid repeated aerial and ground attacks on built-up areas that are protected in times of war.

Deliberate attacks on hospitals - “The bigger pattern that we’ve been seeing is deliberate attacks on hospitals to put them out of commission and essentially in such a way as to force the population to move”, he added. Appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Commission of Inquiry report includes detailed information surrounding aerial bombardments on built-up areas including a crowded marketplace on 22 July in Maarat al Numan, and a displacement camp close to Haas on 16 August. “In the marketplace, it was attacked actually twice with what we call a double-tap,” Mr Megally said, adding that 43 people were killed and 109 injured. “Russian planes were sighted above that area. In Haas, in south Idlib, a compound for the displaced, about 20 people were killed, eight women I think, six children.” Citing information that will be presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 10 March, he added that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that these were … Russian planes with Russian pilots”.

Operation Peace Spring ‘displaced 100,000 people’ - In early October, hostilities linked to the advance of Turkish forces in support of the opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) led to the displacement of more than 100,000 people, the Commission of Inquiry report stated.“Normally, you would want to be saying there’s command and control - you know – evidence that they are either doing it under instructions or under orders from the power that’s supporting them”, Mr. Megally said. “That’s been something we couldn’t find. But we felt that still Turkey should be feeling responsible” for their actions, and, “should at least be trying to prevent them from continuing to violate rights.”

‘Appalling’ conditions in ISIL family camps - Turning to north-east Syria, and the detention camps where many alleged ISIL extremists and their families are still being held after the so-called Caliphate was overthrown, the Commissioners reported that some 11,000 males – some as young as nine - are being held “in squalid conditions”, overseen by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). “People have been taken there without enough mobilisation of international assistance, so they were being held in appalling conditions,” Mr Megally said, amid evidence that detainees lacked adequate access to food or water, were visibly ill and had untreated conflict-related injuries. Women and children continue to be held there, Mr Megally warned.

Repatriation call for foreign fighters - “The women and children come from various nationalities…I think it’s up to 50 countries. Most have not stepped forward and taken back their nationals. And that’s been problematic.” It was of the utmost importance that Member States repatriated vulnerable and impressionable youngsters, Mr Pinheiro said. They “should regard children first and foremost as victims and not as future terrorists”, he insisted. Credit UN News >>>

Italia News Press Agency - Oggi più che mai il nostro pensiero va a tutti i bambini Siriani colpiti - da tanto, troppo tempo - dall’epidemia più grave: la guerra. Bambini privati della loro spensieratezza, delle risate e delle corse libere all’aria aperta. Oggi, che anche a noi sono private le più innocue spensieratezze come: passeggiare, chiacchierare con amici e parenti, ed avere la testa sgombra di "cattivi pensieri" spesso rivolti ai nostri amati cari, ci rendiamo conto di quanto sia costoso rinunciare a queste libertà. Libertà che solitamente diamo per scontato, ma che con solo "il nostro cuore aperto" possiamo percepire che vivano i 290mila bambini ( ... nostri figli ... ) distrutti dall'orrore delle bombe. Quindi, quando ci lamentiamo disperatamente per le due settimane durante le quali il "mortale virus Codid-19" ci impedisce di fare sport e portare i nostri bimbi nei parchi pubblici, rammentiamoci delle atroci sofferenze delle famiglie Siriane colpite da una guerra fraticida che le obbliga a vivere ammassati in miseri campi profughi in terre starniere. Il mio augurio sia: non appena potremmo tornare alla vita di tutti i giorni, la nostra mente e le nostre azioni siano rivolte anche a loro: Papà, Mamme e Bambini dimenticati solo perché nati nella parte più sfortunata del mondo. (Letizia Signorin, italian communicator)