30 Dec 2019; MEMO: German foreign minister, Heiko Maas, called on Sunday for a permanent ceasefire in the Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria.
Speaking to the German Funke Media Group, Maas announced that: “The humanitarian situation in Idlib is already catastrophic and is getting worse due to the fighting.”
He explained that tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the Syrian regime bombardment and that: “These people are forced to flee under harsh conditions in the winter.”
A report by Funke Media Group pointed to the displacement of about 225,000 people towards the Turkish borders, to escape the recent attacks by the Syrian regime and Russia on Idlib.
In May 2017, Turkey, Russia and Iran reached an agreement designating Idlib as “a de-escalation zone” as part of the Astana talks on Syria. However, the Syrian regime forces and their allies continue to launch attacks on the region.
