The humanitarian crisis in Syria and the refugees living in the Russian base

Tensions in Syria have escalated in recent months, with hundreds of people seeking refuge at Russia's Hmeimim air base. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has described the situation as a "massacre" and "the most horrific crimes of violence in recent years," Reuters reported.

Refugees to Hmeimim base

Some social media users have posted photos of women and children seeking refuge at the Hmeimim air base. According to them, the base is mainly home to Christian, Druze and Alawite refugees. However, the authenticity of these photos and the identities of the users are not known.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters who have now seized power say they are trying to completely destroy the remnants of the Assad regime. There are reports of increased violence against the population in villages and towns mainly inhabited by Alawites. Many Alawite homes have been looted and then burned.

Refugees and international relations

Some of Syria's Alawites are being forced to flee to Lebanon. According to Lebanese Alawite MP Haidar Nasser, many are seeking refuge at Russia's Hmeimim air base. Security expert Rob Geist Pinfold, in an interview with Al Jazeera, said the reason for the violence is the lack of a peace agreement between the new Syrian government and Assad's supporters. He believes that there are very few people left in the country who have not been involved in the violence during the 14-year civil war.

Major casualties in the last ten days

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in Syria in the past two days. At least 745 of them were civilians. The main victims are Alawites, some of whom were killed in their homes, while others died while fleeing the attacks.

Military operations in Latakia and Tartus

The military operations carried out by the Syrian government are mainly aimed at the Alawite cities of Latakia and Tartus. According to reports from the French television channel France 24 and the AFP agency, these actions were launched in response to attacks by Assad's supporters. The German Foreign Ministry and the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed serious concern about the situation and called on all parties to de-escalate the situation. The International Committee of the Red Cross is demanding unhindered access to the area to provide medical care to the wounded.

Russia's Role in Syria

Russia has two important military bases in Syria: the Khmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base. On February 6, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Kasra said that these bases would remain if an agreement was reached. Russia's attitude towards the new government improved after Assad was overthrown in December 2024.

As the crisis in Syria continues, how the international community responds to the situation and how it helps refugees will be of great importance. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”