Members of the Security Council Estonia, Belgium, France and Germany, as well as former elected member Poland, made a joint statement before the Security Council on Friday in which they expressed their deep alarm over the humanitarian situation in northwest Syria. The statement was read to the Security Council by Estonian Ambassador Sven Jürgenson.

The five EU nations say they are deeply alarmed by the ongoing military escalation in northwest Syria that has displaced more than 800,000 people since December 1.

"This is one of the worst man-made displacements that we have seen anywhere in the world in years. And it has been and continues to be entirely avoidable," the statement reads.

The UN describes the already dramatic humanitarian situation in Idlib as the biggest humanitarian catastrophe since the beginning of the Syrian conflict.

The statement points out that millions of civilians remain trapped in the area, the vast majority of whom are women and children. Deliberate strikes continue against civilians and civilian infrastructure such as medical facilities or schools.

The signatories of the statement demand that the parties, especially the Syrian regime and its allies, immediately end their military offensive, establish a genuine and lasting ceasefire, guarantee the protection of civilians and fully adhere to international humanitarian law.   

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