Fighting in Aleppo Governorate has grown increasingly intense over the past week, as new offensives have brought even more misery and uncertainty to the region. This past Thursday, the frontlines reached the outskirts of displacement camps in the area, and some camps in Azaz District were attacked.
The new offensives have again forced tens of thousands of people to flee towards the Turkish border in search of safety, but whether or not they will be able to find sanctuary remains an open question.
Among those fleeing are medical staff, as the fighting has forced health facilities to restrict operations or close altogether. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) knows of only five hospitals still running in the area and has reduced the size of its own team at its hospital in northern Azaz District, which is currently only able to provide emergency services.
"MSF is extremely concerned about the security of people who have been yet again forced to flee from their homes, and about their living conditions and ability to access to health care," says Muskilda Zancada, MSF head of mission in Syria.
On April 14, MSF teams were able to distribute essential relief items such as blankets and mattresses to 200 families. Further distributions will be carried out today. "At this stage it is unclear how many people are newly displaced," Zandcada added, "but MSF will conduct assessments soon."
