A/HRC/44/61 area along the Syrian-Turkish border already hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Some 400,000 civilians moved to areas in northern Aleppo Governorate, including A’zaz, Afrin, Jandairis and Al-Bab. 60. Displacement across Idlib and western Aleppo rapidly increased each month from November 2019 to February 2020, in correlation with the intensification of hostilities,30 but slowed considerably following the ceasefire on 6 March, as indicated in the figure below, which shows the number of displacement movements per month in the Idlib and Aleppo Governorates. Displacement in the period November 2019 to March 2020 500,000 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 November December January February March Idlib 46,480 214,513 320,582 453,556 32,432 Aleppo 28,159 84,021 132,560 290,588 61,130 Idlib Aleppo Source: information as reported by Camp Coordination and Camp Management; the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkey; and the Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic. 61. Consistent accounts from civilians fleeing Ma’arrat al-Nu’man and Ariha described how aerial bombardment followed them as they were displaced towards northern Idlib and parts of Aleppo. Many explained how their decision to leave was involuntary, and that they had no other option but to flee to save their lives. 62. The assault on Ma’arrat al-Nu’man intensified in mid-December31 (see paras. 20–32). Interviewees reported continuous shelling and aerial bombardment of residential areas, described as “horrific”. While around 40 vehicles facilitated the evacuation of civilians, many described their departure as chaotic and complicated owing to the damage to roads out of the city.32 Interviewees who briefly returned to Ma’arrat al-Nu’man in early January described it as a “ghost town”, with no services available, including water and electricity, in addition to large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure. 63. In Ariha, interviewees noted that the last hospital was damaged and stopped working on 29 January (see annex III). By 31 January, there were hardly any civilians left in the town.33 One family noted how they rented a small truck and paid $150 to take the four family members to stay with relatives in Al Bab, as transport fees significantly increased during the 30 31 32 33 www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/stima/idps-tracking. In December, 80,288 residents and 20,257 internally displaced persons reportedly left the city (Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic). In January, 43,596 residents and 20,860 internally displaced persons reportedly left the city (Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic). In January, 88,732 residents and 31,132 internally displaced persons fled (Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme for the Syrian Arab Republic). 11