New wave of refugees

05 February 2016 - 03:05 By Bloomberg

In what could unleash a new wave of refugees into Europe, Turkey said yesterday that hundreds of thousands of Syrians are ready to flee the country in the face of a northern offensive by government forces.Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, speaking at a Syria aid conference in London, said as many as 70000 Syrians were already "on their way to Turkey from camps north of Aleppo and 10000 others have already arrived at the border province of Kilis and are waiting to cross in."Backed by Russian firepower and Hezbollah militants, Syrian government troops have cut off rebel supply lines between the northern city of Aleppo and Turkey, according to a UK-based group that monitors the conflict.The offensive made it impossible for Syrian peace talks in Geneva to continue and the UN suspended them yesterday until February 25 just days after they officially began."Unfortunately, the talks in Geneva were halted because the regime, while going to Geneva, kept its attacks on civilians, hospitals and schools in Aleppo and Latakia," Davutoglu, whose country backs the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said.Taking Aleppo, Syria's former commercial hub, would give Russia, Iran and Assad more bargaining power at any future settlement talks and more say in how the region will be redefined.A civil war that has killed 250000 people over five years and forced millions of others to flee their homes has confronted Europe with the rising threat of terrorism and a growing migrant crisis.Turkey is home to 2.5million Syrians, the largest refugee population outside Syria.Davutoglu spoke as world leaders gathered in London to pledge aid, with European leaders in particular hoping that better conditions in camps and greater access for humanitarian assistance would convince civilians to stay put rather than joining the 1million that have braved seas and long walks to reach Europe.Germany will put up $2.5-billion (about R39-billion) in aid through 2018, including half the World Food Programme's budget for food rations for nations in the region hosting Syrian refugees, said Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is under withering pressure at home to act after over a million asylum seekers made their way to Germany last year.The flood of refugees has prompted the EU torestart membership talks with Turkey.The country has spent $1-billion on refugees in the camps alone and the social and economic cost of hosting refugees could be about $20-billion, according to the prime minister. ..

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