Nearly 50,000 people have recently been displaced in Syria due to escalating violence, as an Islamist-led rebel alliance has seized significant territory from President Bashar al-Assad’s government, the UN’s humanitarian agency reported on Monday.
“The displacement situation remains highly fluid, with partners verifying new figures daily,” said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). As of November 30, over 48,500 individuals have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has warned of a potential new migration crisis, highlighting that Lebanon, which already hosts 1 million Syrian refugees, is facing mounting pressures. He also cautioned that the conflict in Syria could spill over into Europe, with Lebanon directly impacted by the unrest.
The opposition forces, which have been engaged in fierce clashes with regime troops for the past six days, have made significant territorial advances, including taking control of the regional hub of Aleppo and areas south of Idlib province, extending toward the regime-held Hama. On December 3, opposition groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured six more settlements in the Hama province, just six kilometers from the city center.
The violence has led to heavy casualties, with at least 81 civilians reported killed in airstrikes by Russian and Syrian regime forces on Aleppo and Idlib, according to civil defense sources.
In a related development, the Assad regime has intensified forced conscription efforts in Latakia province. Local reports indicate that authorities are distributing weapons and ammunition in Tartus, Banyas, and Jableh, offering volunteers a stipend of 3 million Syrian pounds (around $200), a sum roughly ten times the average civil servant’s salary.
Despite these incentives, enlistment numbers remain low, prompting regime forces to conduct raids on industrial zones, detaining men aged 18 to 40. Military checkpoints have also been set up in neighborhoods to arrest students without valid deferments. Many young men are reportedly hiding at home or fleeing to avoid conscription.
Sources suggest that Assad’s position is becoming increasingly precarious, with expected support from Iran, Iraq, and Hezbollah yet to materialize, leaving him vulnerable to further challenges.
