UN 'Deeply Concerned' over Safety of 400,000 Raqqa Civilians

A statement of the UN Secretary General spokesman read: "In past weeks, civilians have been exposed to daily fighting and airstrikes which resulted in an escalating number of civilian deaths and injuries as well as damage to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, markets and water infrastructure." 

He then said: "There are worries" about how the US-backed operation will affect civilians and added: "We have set up camps in the area that are receiving people and we are trying to make sure that all the people displaced by the fighting can be placed in camps for their safety. But we want to make sure that whatever operations are conducted, they will bear in mind that there is a huge number of civilians who are trying to flee to safety." 

In conclusion he said: "We need to make sure that all parties abide by the basic humanitarian norms, so civilians can be spared the consequences both of the actions by Daesh [IS] and by the air strikes." 

Earlier, at least eight people, including five children were killed in airstrikes on Atabaqa city and two schools were also destroyed in the attack.

Last week, "dozens of people were reportedly killed and injured in airstrikes on an IDP [Internally Displaced People] camp near Albardah village, 20 kilometers west of Raqqa," the statement added.

In other makeshift camps in Raqqa province host thousands of people fleeing Daesh violence, "four out of five people are staying in the open air without appropriate shelter." Several children reportedly died in the camps due to lack of medical care, the UN said.  

Reaching those camps is described as an "ordeal" by locals who say they are fleeing the shelling by the US-led coalition in Syria.

One of the refugees said: "All the people who come have been through the same ordeal. With me and my family, I paid about 80,000. It cost us so much. There was so much suffering and there were disabled people and sick people. It was an indescribable ordeal." 

Earlier, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported major advances in their offensive to liberate Raqqa from the Daesh (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group. All Daesh’s access routes for resupply of arms and personnel are now cut. 
 
Despite the active participation of the US-led coalition, they offer no humanitarian support for the civilians fleeing from the terrorists.

During the fighting, SDF fighters have transferring civilians through secured corridors from the Daesh occupied areas to safe zones under their control and some 70,000 refugees have reached safer areas in northern Syria.

The camps in the town of Kerama and Ayn Issa are hosting about 30,000 people each, but as the fighting escalates, the number of civilians fleeing their homes will increase sharply.

The Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) had tried to warn the international community, "specifically" Washington, of the consequences of the battle for Raqqa and asked for assistance, but none is forthcoming.

Washington's assistance to Syrian anti-government forces fighting Daesh terrorists in the country is a constant source of controversy as Damascus sees any US presence in the country illegitimate and a violation of Syria’s sovereignty.