Syrian Offensive on Idlib Could Displace 700,000 People

On Wednesday, residents of Idlib received leaflets dropped from government planes warning of the upcoming offensive on the region. The Northwestern province has long been a relative safe haven for rebel fighters and refugees displaced by conflict in other parts of the country over the course of the seven-year civil war. Fighting has devastated every other region, with Idlib the last one standing as the civil war winds to a violent close.

Officials from the World Health Organization estimate that anywhere between 250,000 and 700,000 refugees could result from the upcoming attack, placing the total number of projected refugees above the 6 million mark.