The conflict in Syria, which has caused unrest in the region for six years now, recently led to 100,000 people being displaced in the span of just eight days.
According to Stream.org, government troops clashed with insurgents in Hama province, causing the massive displacement.
The offensive was led by a hardline Islamic group called Jund al-Aqsa, but also involved factions from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army. The Syrian government forces responded by carrying out a bombing campaign that killed dozens of people.
About half of the 100,000 displaced persons sought refuge in the rebel-held Idlib governorate. Many others reportedly sought refuge in the government-controlled Hama city, where four mosques had been converted into shelters.
Many Syrians feared that the government would retaliate against the rebel offensive. Ahmad al-Ahmad, an activist from Hama, told The Associated Press through text message: “Wherever the regime is driven out of an area, it ends up destroying it.”
Since the start of the conflict in Syria, an estimated 11 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes. About 4.8 million of these are refugees in other countries, while about 7 million are internally displaced.
Publication date: September 8, 2016
