2 Jul 2019

Syria: Scores of pregnant women, children flee Idlib violence

From Morning Report, 8:50 am on 2 July 2019

High numbers of pregnant women and children are fleeing the wartorn city of Idlib in Northern Syria, where violence has surged in the past two months.

There have been reports of women being forced to give birth outside, and newborns spending their first days without protection from the elements.

A medical facility in the area supported by World Vision has seen an increase in patients of 70 percent in the last month.

Caroline Anning, World Vision's Syrian advocacy director, tells Susie Ferguson the latest details.

Also, the International Red Cross has sent information regarding the search for the New Zealand Red Cross nurse Louisa Akavi who has been missing in Syria since she was kidnapped in 2013.

The Red Cross says since its plea for information in April, a number of sources of information emerged in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.

It says its teams continue to work to verify the information and follow these leads. The Red Cross says it made a renewed push for information in June on social media in Iraq, again asking the public to come forward with any information about Louisa Akavi and two other Syrians Red Cross workers who were also kidnapped.

The organisation said it was not able to share details of the leads we have received.