At least 370,000 displaced by Syria war escalation, UN says

More than 25,000 are staying in shelters that are reaching or exceeding capacity

Displaced people return to the city of Hama, Syria. EPA

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The escalation in fighting in Syria has displaced about 370,000 people in just over a week, the UN said on Friday. Among them, at least 100,000 have been forced to flee the violence several times.

“Most of the displaced are women and children,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a briefing in New York. Tens of thousands have sought refuge in north-east Syria, he added.

The world body estimates between 60,000 and 80,000 people have been newly displaced. More than 25,000 are staying in shelters, which are reaching or exceeding capacity.

“These shelters are filling up as soon as they get are assigned with sites now at capacity, people are sleeping on the streets and in their cars in sub-zero temperature as winter has set on,” said Mr Dujarric.

The fresh mass displacement comes after rebels led by Islamist extremist group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham launched their lightning offensive last week. That occurred just as a tenuous ceasefire in neighbouring Lebanon took hold between Israel and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's ally, Hezbollah, following two months of full-blown war that drove hundreds of thousands to flee into Syria.

Samer Abdel Jaber, the World Food Programme's Director for Emergency Co-ordination, told reporters in Geneva that up to 1.5 million people could be forced to flee a surge in fighting in Syria.

“If the situation continues evolving [at the same] pace, we're expecting collectively around 1.5 million people that will be displaced and will be requiring our support,” he added.

Earlier this month, the UN humanitarian office said it had had to cut food rations in Syria by up to 80 per cent due to insufficient funds.