Syria conflict: 'Thousands flee Aleppo offensive'

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: BBC

At least 70,000 Syrians have fled a government offensive on rebel-held areas south of the city of Aleppo in the past three days, an activist says.

Dr Zaidoun al-Zoabi, head of the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations, told the BBC that several villages he had visited were empty.

He saw thousands of people on the move, with no shelter or medical support.

The government offensive is the latest of at least four launched with Russian air support in the past two weeks.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34570938

[uawchild]

1. The only solution is compromise and peace talks.

Clearly, each side in this internecine warring triangle (of Assad, ISIS, moderate jihadists) trying to achieve a military "solution" is just exacerbating civilian suffering.

Its way past time for all warring parties -- and the countries like the US, Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia that are arming them -- to stop and broker a compromise. You don't make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies.

Its time to give peace a chance, allusions to John Lennon intended.

[Sunlei]

2. Half the population of Syria is 'gone'. It is said, about 12 million fled as refugees

There must be 5 or 6 million people dead.

Assad isn't just having a 'war'. Assad has conducted an extermination of any people who opposed him.

Those 12 million people will never be welcomed back to their home country.

We, the American people shouldn't be supporting any small clusters of fighters with arms. There is nothing those fighters can do that will bring peace to Syria. It's a slow death for all of them.

If America does anything we should support those 2 or 3k 'fighters' as refugees and let them get out of Syria as well.

[uawchild]

3. nice post

"We, the American people shouldn't be supporting any small clusters of fighters with arms. There is nothing those fighters can do that will bring peace to Syria. It's a slow death for all of them."

Well said.

"Those 12 million people will never be welcomed back to their home country."

Fortunately, its not that bad, from the OP's article: "More than 11 million Syrians have been driven from their homes since 2011. More than 4.18 million have fled abroad - 2.07 million of them to Turkey - with growing numbers now making the dangerous journey to Europe."
So, "only" 4.2 million have fled their country, so far. The rest have fled internally in Syria.

"There must be 5 or 6 million people dead."
Fortunately, your estimate is also high.

"The number of fatalities in the conflict, according to the Syrian opposition website Syrian Martyrs, is 138,858, updated to 30 September 2015.[12] The number includes 31,622 rebels but does not include members of the government security forces or pro-government foreign combatants who have died.[13] The Syrian Martyrs number of civilian deaths is significantly higher than the ones presented by other organisations, including the UN, one reason being they record deaths even when no name is given for the reportedly killed individual.[14]

Other estimates range from 143,150 to 340,125. Except for the SNHR figure, which excludes pro-government and ISIS fighters,[15] all of the following totals include civilians, rebels and government forces:

Source Casualties Time period
United Nations 220,000 killed
Syrian Network for Human Rights 215,454 killed
Center for Documentation of Violations 143,153
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 250,241–340,124 killed"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Syrian_Civil_War

Again, nice post and I hope you don't mind me supplying the additional information.

[newthinking]

5. Takes some work to deconstruct the media narratives

and get accurate figures unfortunately. Thanks for providing the additional info.

[NuclearDem]

4. Because stability!

[uhnope]

6. "where there are people, there are problems" -Stalin. nt