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Syria's Idlib at Risk of Humanitarian Disaster

Margaret Besheer

   UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Tuesday the Syrian
   province of Idlib is at risk of becoming "the worst humanitarian
   disaster the world has seen so far this century," as Russian-backed
   Syrian government forces continue a campaign against one of the last
   rebel hold outs.

   "For more than 90 days now, bombing and shelling by the government of
   Syria, backed by the Russian Federation, has produced carnage in the
   so-called de-escalation zone of Idlib," Mark Lowcock told a meeting of
   the U.N. Security Council.

   He said at least 450 civilians have been killed since late April,
   including more than 100 just in the past two weeks. More than 440,000
   have been displaced, many for the fourth or fifth time.

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