The head of Syria’s “White Helmets” civilian defense group called Monday for a no-fly zone over Idlib and other north-western areas to end air-strikes that have driven hundreds of thousands from their homes in recent weeks.
“There are systematic strikes on hospitals, White Helmet offices and schools,” Raed al-Saleh said in an interview in Paris, ahead of a meeting with French foreign ministry officials.
Saleh has been visiting European capitals ahead of a visit to Washington to push for a flight embargo as violence escalates in Syria’s nine-year-old civil war.
Nearly one million refugees have fled Idlib towards Turkey since December, when Syrian forces launched an offensive against the last rebel holdout.
“The situation is truly catastrophic,” he said. “We have 200,000 people without any shelter; they are sleeping on sidewalks or in their cars.”
On Sunday, Turkey confirmed a full military operation in northwest Syria after an air strike on Thursday blamed on Damascus killed 34 Turkish soldiers.
