A/HRC/44/61 displacement. They brought only personal documents, clothing, bedding and medicine, and they travelled for 18 hours owing to overcrowded roads. 64. Waves of displacement also ensued from western Aleppo, with nearly 160,000 civilians fleeing Atarib and its environs by mid-February (see annex III).34 One interviewee described how her mother and sister decided to escape during the night of 10 February, owing to the continued attacks on their neighbourhood, which destroyed several houses near theirs (see paras. 33–35). By mid-February, almost all residents had decided to flee as the advance of Government forces seemed imminent. A chaotic situation ensued, with large queues of fleeing civilians on the main escape roads. Some recalled fleeing at night to avoid being targeted while on the run. When pro-Government forces did not advance as far as expected, some returned as they were unable to find shelter elsewhere. By mid-May, approximately 30,000 civilians had returned.35 65. In Darat Azza, residents reported leaving after being terrified by heavy bombardment. One resident stated his family could no longer cope with the terror and rushed to leave on 18 February (see paras. 36–47). Another civilian described leaving at 6 a.m. on 20 February with his family, a total of 35 persons. They packed their valuables and clothes and left their home after days of shelling, including of hospitals. He outlined how it took the family more than 24 hours to enter Afrin owing to crowded roads, and also reported lengthy procedures related to Syrian National Army crossing registration and body screening, performed by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). 66. Early in the reporting period, humanitarian corridors were opened for internally displaced persons to return to Government-controlled areas. According to the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in the Syrian Arab Republic, checkpoints started operating on 13 January and were in Abu al-Duhur in Idlib, al-Hader (Aleppo) and Habit (Hama).36 Reportedly, 72 persons passed through the al-Hader checkpoint on the first three days.37 Numerous interviewees described that few utilized these routes, fearing conscription or detention.38 Those who did cross used indirect routes to get to Aleppo city, as well as Latakia and Tartous.39 67. Displaced persons often considered Afrin to be the safest area in the north-west of the country. Movements between areas controlled by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and those controlled by Operation Olive Branch or Operation Euphrates Shield were, however, frequently subject to fees charged by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, as they inspected cars and charged $200 depending on the items found. Clothes and other personal items were allowed; however, items such as livestock were either subject to a fee or confiscated. Generators were also taken from departing internally displaced persons. Civilians noted that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham checkpoints at Bab al-Hawa, Dayr Ballut, Darat Azza and southern areas in Jabal al-Zawiya all had similar procedures and the inspections resulted in civilians experiencing long delays. 68. Areas in northern Bab al-Hawa, Sarmada, Hazano, Ma’aret Tamsrin, Idlib city centre, Kafr Takharim, Salqin and Basateen, were described as overflowing with displaced persons, given the huge scale and pace of displacement. At the time of writing, the needs of internally displaced persons continue to be enormous. Despite the presence of some NGOs, tents, heating and sanitation are sorely lacking. Multiple families have been forced to share a single tent, or to sleep in abandoned buildings or in the open. Interviewees noted that this displacement was about mere survival, with everyone running away to save their lives, bringing only basic personal items. Children have been particularly vulnerable and prone to diseases given the lack of heating, medicine, food and clothes. Those in camps faced similar 34 35 36 37 38 39 12 During February, 98,595 residents and 116,110 internally displaced persons were reported to have left the area (Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic). https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/recent-developments-northwest-syria-situation-reportno-14-15-may-2020. http://eng.mil.ru/en/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12270700@egNews. Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic. The Commission has previously documented how detentions of civilians perceived as opposition sympathizers have entailed war crimes and crimes against humanity (see, e.g., www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/A-HRC-31-CRP1_en.pdf). Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic.