Number Of People Displaced By Turkish Offensive In Syria Rises To 160,000 - UN

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Number of People Displaced by Turkish Offensive in Syria Rises to 160,000 - UN

The number of Syrians fleeing their country has reached 160,000 due to the Turkish military operation in the country's north, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday in a statement

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2019) The number of Syrians fleeing their country has reached 160,000 due to the Turkish military operation in the country's north, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday in a statement.

On Saturday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a press release that as many as 100,000 people in Syria were internally displaced due to the offensive.

"The Secretary-General is gravely concerned over the military developments in northeast Syria, which have already reportedly resulted in many civilian casualties and the displacement of at least 160,000 civilians.

He continues to urge for maximum restraint and stresses that any military operation must fully respect international law, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law," Dujarric said.

Last week, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. Airstrikes began that same day in the town of Ras al-Ain in Al Hasakah province, while the ground operations were launched shortly afterward. The Turkish offensive is part of Ankara's long-standing goal to clear its Syria-facing border area of Islamic State terrorists (banned in Russia) and Kurdish militias, whom Ankara designates as terrorists.