Will Syria’s Idlib offensive spark the war’s worst refugee crisis?

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Refugee child in van leaving IdlibCivilians flee from Idlib toward the north to find safety inside Syria near the border with Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. Syrian troops are waging an offensive in the last rebel stronghold. (PHOTO: AP)

GUEST: Dr. Edmund Ghareeb, professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

The conflict between Turkey and Syria continues to escalate. On Monday, The United Nations called for an immediate ceasefire – as Russian backed Syrian forces continue their advance to retake Idlib province – an opposition held area on the border of the two countries.

Syria’s offensive, which began in April last year, is in direct violation of a 2018 ceasefire Russia itself had facilitated.

Idlib has become home to more than three million people, most of whom were internally displaced by the Syrian civil war. If the offensive continues, many fear a new refugee and security crisis will overtake Turkey and the region.

Turkish has sent representatives to Moscow in hopes of a diplomatic solution – but is there any hope for the talks while Russia continues to provide support for Syria’s offensive itself?

Joining us to talk about the latest developments in Idlib and what they mean for the region is Dr. Edmund Ghareeb. He’s a scholar at the American University in Washington, DC – and a professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.