Nearly 50,000 displaced in Syria in recent days: UN

ISTANBUL

Nearly 50,000 people have recently been displaced in Syria, where opposition forces have wrested swathes of territory from control of President Bashar al-Assad's government, the U.N.'s humanitarian agency has reported.

"The displacement situation remains highly fluid, with partners verifying new figures daily," the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. "Over 48,500 people have been displaced as of Nov. 30."

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani warned of a new migration crisis in Syria, reminding that Lebanon is already hosting 1 million Syrian refugees.

He also warned that this conflict, which directly impacts Lebanon, could also affect Europe.

The opposition forces, engaged in clashes with regime forces for the past six days, have made significant territorial gains, taking control of the regional hub of Aleppo as well as areas south of Idlib province toward regime-held Hama.

In the Hama province, the opposition groups, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of six additional settlements on Dec. 3, located just six kilometers from the city center.

At least 81 civilians were killed in the airstrikes conducted by Russia 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 sources reported that authorities are distributing weapons and ammunition in Tartus, Banyas and Jableh, and offering volunteers a monthly stipend of 3 million Syrian pounds (around $200), a sum roughly ten times the average civil servant’s salary.

Despite these incentives, enlistment remains scarce. In response, regime forces have conducted raids on industrial zones, detaining men aged 18 to 40. Additionally, military checkpoints have been established in neighborhoods to detain students without valid six-month deferments. Many young men are now either hiding at home or fleeing cities to avoid conscription, media reported.

Sources suggested Assad faces a precarious situation, with anticipated support from Iran, Iraq and Hezbollah yet to materialize.