In Syria, so-called safe zones are laced with danger

Along Syria’s borders with Turkey to the north and Jordan to the south, tens of thousands of civilians are huddling along fences and in desert no man’s lands

With the UN General Assembly resolution to end attacks on civilians and growing global outcry over the carnage in Aleppo, the world once again is looking for ways to protect Syrians.

Short of a lasting ceasefire, many are once again calling for safe zones: secure territory to protect civilians fleeing from Russian and Syrian regime bombers, ISIL atrocities and rebel infighting.
Those debating the pros and cons of safety zones are missing a point: they are already here.
Along Syria’s borders with Turkey to the north and Jordan to the south, tens of thousands of civilians are huddling along fences and in desert no man’s lands. After Aleppo, they may soon be joined by thousands more.
While Russia has said it was open to rebel fighters withdrawing from the city, negotiations with the US proved fruitless. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov described American calls for a ceasefire as "whining", saying he was tired of hearing it. 
Meanwhile, opposition MPs in Kuwait tried to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Moscow by urging GCC countries to expel Russian ambassadors over the "genocide" in Aleppo. 
The diplomatic manoeuvring came as the UN issued dire warnings about potential war crimes committed by the Syrian government and its allies against civilians in eastern Aleppo.
On Tuesday, the UN human rights office said reports from "reliable sources" indicated at least 82 civilians had been killed by pro-government forces in eastern Aleppo in recent days, with some, including women and children, murdered inside their homes as their neighbourhoods were captured. The office has also received reports that "many civilians" have been detained by pro-government forces.
"We hope, profoundly, that these reports are wrong, or exaggerated, as the situation is extremely fluid and it is very challenging to verify reports," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "However, they have been corroborated by multiple reliable sources."
Fear of such reprisals by forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad has deterred thousands in eastern Aleppo from leaving rebel territory even as it becomes ever smaller and more dangerous.
Like the rebels in the city, many civilians were waiting for an opportunity to evacuate to territory held by opposition forces outside the city.
Russia says 110,000 civilians, including 45,000 children have fled eastern Aleppo since the Syrian government’s offensive began last month. 
The UN estimated there were a total of about 250,000 civilians in the area before the offensive.
Syrian state TV on Tuesday showed a stream of people including children, elderly, those in wheelchairs — crossing the lines into government territory, carrying whatever they could through the rain-sodden ruins of their city, as gunfire echoed in the distance.
For those who remained in Eastern Aleppo, their survival appeared to be in question after three months of siege. Some have sent out "final messages" to the world on social media in the past few days as they prepared for the last streets to fall into government hands.
Bilal Abdul Kareem, an American filmmaker trapped by the siege in eastern Aleppo, voiced his frustration in a video on Monday.
"I would like to say to the Muslim umma [community] that is out there: guys, you dropped the ball on this one. You know, [Turkish president Recep Tayyip] Erdogan: nice recitation of the Quran, but you really blew it this time. You really had an opportunity to be the hero, fly in here with a cape and help out these poor people with your troops just 25 kilometres away, but you blew it."
In August, Turkey joined the war but despite supporting opposition forces, chose not to confront the Syrian government, focusing instead solely on battling ISIL and the Kurdish YPG faction, the long-time thorn in Turkey’s side. 
In another video uploaded Tuesday morning, Syrian activist and teacher Abdulkafi Al Hamdo appeared resigned as he spoke about the world’s abandonment of Aleppo.
"Yesterday there were many celebrations in the other part of Aleppo. They were celebrating on our bodies. It’s OK, this is life. 
But at least we know that we were a free people. We wanted freedom. We didn’t want anything else but freedom," he said. "I hope you can remember us. I don’t know. Thank you very much." The camera panned across a shattered street — and then stopped. 
These Syrians have calculated that the strips of land along the Jordanian and Turkish borders are the safest in Syria. 
Any missile strike, any ground incursion by the border areas would be seen as an act of war by both Turkey and Jordan. The borders are a red line and are thus the only areas where Syrian and Russian jets dare not to go.
The only question is whether the international community is willing or able to enforce these de facto safety zones.
The trend began in Rukban, a desert no-man’s land between Jordan and Syria, a stretch of inhabitable desert over 200 kilometres from Palmyra, the nearest settlement. Long an informal crossing for Syrians looking to enter Jordan, Rukban was suddenly closed off in March 2015 as Jordanian authorities became wary of potential ISIL infiltration.
The Rukban settlement grew to thousands, then tens of thousands. Now 75,000 Syrian civilians, mainly women and children, call the makeshift camp home.
Residents say they risked their lives to camp out on the Jordan border for only one reason: safety. They were not pulled to the border by the promise of aid or resettlement, they were pushed there by conflict. 
Even Jordanian officials privately admit that Rukban has become a "de facto safety zone."
The phenomenon emerged on the Turkish border this February when Turkey closed its borders. Thousands of Syrians fleeing Russian bombing in Aleppo came to the Bab Al Salam crossing to enter Turkey. Denied entry, they camped out on the border. 

The writer is a political analyst and journalist

In Syria, so-called safe zones are laced with danger

Along Syrias borders with Turkey to the north and Jordan to the south, tens of thousands of civilians are huddling along fences and in desert no mans lands

With the UN General Assembly resolution to end attacks on civilians and growing global outcry over the carnage in Aleppo, the world once again is looking for ways to protect Syrians. Short of a lasting ceasefire, many are once again calling for safe zones: secure territory to protect civilians fleeing from Russian and Syrian regime bombers, ISIL atrocities and rebel infighting. Those debating the pros and cons of safety zones are missing a point: they are already here. Along Syrias borders with Turkey to the north and Jordan to the south, tens of thousands of civilians are huddling along fences and in desert no mans lands. After Aleppo, they may soon be joined by thousands more. While Russia has said it was open to rebel fighters withdrawing from the city, negotiations with the US proved fruitless. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov described American calls for a ceasefire as whining, saying he was tired of hearing it. Meanwhile, opposition MPs in Kuwait tried to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Moscow by urging GCC countries to expel Russian ambassadors over the genocide in Aleppo. The diplomatic manoeuvring came as the UN issued dire warnings about potential war crimes committed by the Syrian government and its allies against civilians in eastern Aleppo. On Tuesday, the UN human rights office said reports from reliable sources indicated at least 82 civilians had been killed by pro-government forces in eastern Aleppo in recent days, with some, including women and children, murdered inside their homes as their neighbourhoods were captured. The office has also received reports that many civilians have been detained by pro-government forces. We hope, profoundly, that these reports are wrong, or exaggerated, as the situation is extremely fluid and it is very challenging to verify reports, said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. However, they have been corroborated by multiple reliable sources. Fear of such reprisals by forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad has deterred thousands in eastern Aleppo from leaving rebel territory even as it becomes ever smaller and more dangerous. Like the rebels in the city, many civilians were waiting for an opportunity to evacuate to territory held by opposition forces outside the city. Russia says 110,000 civilians, including 45,000 children have fled eastern Aleppo since the Syrian governments offensive began last month. The UN estimated there were a total of about 250,000 civilians in the area before the offensive. Syrian state TV on Tuesday showed a stream of people including children, elderly, those in wheelchairs crossing the lines into government territory, carrying whatever they could through the rain-sodden ruins of their city, as gunfire echoed in the distance. For those who remained in Eastern Aleppo, their survival appeared to be in question after three months of siege. Some have sent out final messages to the world on social media in the past few days as they prepared for the last streets to fall into government hands. Bilal Abdul Kareem, an American filmmaker trapped by the siege in eastern Aleppo, voiced his frustration in a video on Monday. I would like to say to the Muslim umma [community] that is out there: guys, you dropped the ball on this one. You know, [Turkish president Recep Tayyip] Erdogan: nice recitation of the Quran, but you really blew it this time. You really had an opportunity to be the hero, fly in here with a cape and help out these poor people with your troops just 25 kilometres away, but you blew it. In August, Turkey joined the war but despite supporting opposition forces, chose not to confront the Syrian government, focusing instead solely on battling ISIL and the Kurdish YPG faction, the long-time thorn in Turkeys side. In another video uploaded Tuesday morning, Syrian activist and teacher Abdulkafi Al Hamdo appeared resigned as he spoke about the worlds abandonment of Aleppo. Yesterday there were many celebrations in the other part of Aleppo. They were celebrating on our bodies. Its OK, this is life. But at least we know that we were a free people. We wanted freedom. We didnt want anything else but freedom, he said. I hope you can remember us. I dont know. Thank you very much. The camera panned across a shattered street and then stopped. These Syrians have calculated that the strips of land along the Jordanian and Turkish borders are the safest in Syria. Any missile strike, any ground incursion by the border areas would be seen as an act of war by both Turkey and Jordan. The borders are a red line and are thus the only areas where Syrian and Russian jets dare not to go. The only question is whether the international community is willing or able to enforce these de facto safety zones. The trend began in Rukban, a desert no-mans land between Jordan and Syria, a stretch of inhabitable desert over 200 kilometres from Palmyra, the nearest settlement. Long an informal crossing for Syrians looking to enter Jordan, Rukban was suddenly closed off in March 2015 as Jordanian authorities became wary of potential ISIL infiltration. The Rukban settlement grew to thousands, then tens of thousands. Now 75,000 Syrian civilians, mainly women and children, call the makeshift camp home. Residents say they risked their lives to camp out on the Jordan border for only one reason: safety. They were not pulled to the border by the promise of aid or resettlement, they were pushed there by conflict. Even Jordanian officials privately admit that Rukban has become a de facto safety zone. The phenomenon emerged on the Turkish border this February when Turkey closed its borders. Thousands of Syrians fleeing Russian bombing in Aleppo came to the Bab Al Salam crossing to enter Turkey. Denied entry, they camped out on the border. The writer is a political analyst and journalist