NEW YORK: The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic expressed concerns on Tuesday that the renewed flareup of violence in the country will once again place civilians — already enduring years of war, economic collapse, and the brutality of armed groups and security forces — in the crossfire.

The Syrian civil war has been back in the spotlight since last week, when a coalition of opposition forces launched their largest offensive against the government in years.

They quickly swept through villages outside Aleppo and now say they control much of the city, meeting little resistance as the Syrian military quickly withdrew.

The government’s key ally Russia is conducting airstrikes against rebels who are now fighting the Syrian military in the central city of Hama.

There are reports of civilian casualties, displacements of tens of thousands of people, damage to civilian infrastructure, and interruption in essential services and humanitarian aid. 

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Monday said: “Syrians have endured the conflict for nearly 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that will deliver a peaceful future — not more bloodshed.”

As hostilities risk spreading across the country, the commission of inquiry urged all parties to the conflict to “strictly” adhere to international law and ensure the protection of civilians.

“We are investigating reported attacks impacting civilian infrastructure in the city of Aleppo, including at least one hospital and a university dorm, as well as reported airstrikes on Idlib city and other densely populated civilian areas,” said Commissioner Hanny Megally.

“Both the airstrikes and the rapid changes in territorial control are causing massive displacement of civilians.”

The commission was established in 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council with a mandate to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since the beginning of the war earlier that year. 

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the commission’s chair, warned that the “brutality of past years must not be repeated,” and stressed that Syria must not veer toward a new cycle of atrocities.

He called on all factions involved to break from past patterns of violence and uphold human rights in line with the Geneva Conventions.

There are reports that the fighting could expand to other areas, with the government and its allies reportedly preparing a counteroffensive.

The commission has said it is closely monitoring the treatment of minorities and prisoners of war as opposition forces advance into government-controlled areas.

Particularly concerning is the situation in northern Aleppo, where the opposition Syrian National Army has taken control of areas with a Kurdish population, the commission said.

“There are some welcome statements by parties indicating that they intend to ensure the protection of the civilian population and their rights, so what is required is that their deeds match their words in the coming days and that humanitarian actors on the ground obtain the access and sufficient resources to alleviate suffering,” said Commissioner Lynn Welchman.

MISRATA, Libya: In Libya, a shortage of cash in the banking system has pushed many to turn to cards for payments after more than a decade of war and instability has hammered the country’s financial system.
Across most Libyan cities, withdrawing money is akin to an obstacle course in which hundreds wait, often for hours, outside heavily guarded banks for a turn to take out cash.
But the money all too often runs out early due to short supply.
Mistrust in that system means money is rarely reinjected back into banks, with Libyans preferring instead to keep cash on hand.
And while cashless culture has yet to take root, “the younger generations are easily adopting it,” said Abdullah Al-Gatet, an employee at a bank in Misrata, the country’s third largest city.
Withdrawals at bank counters are capped at 1,000 dinars ($206) each time.
This, along with the cash shortage, means civil servants who make up the bulk of Libya’s working population often receive their salaries late.
There is a growing awareness among Libyans of “the importance of electronic solutions to facilitate daily transactions, especially in times of liquidity crisis,” said 30-year-old Gatet, “even if the infrastructure is still insufficient.”

Libya has been wracked by instability and conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
It is currently divided between a United Nations-recognized government in the capital Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by general Khalifa Haftar.
In Misrata, a major port city and commercial hub about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Tripoli, the population of 400,000 are increasingly signing up to receive bank cards.
But the shift toward cash-free transactions is not without stumbling blocks.
There are few ATM machines and many vendors do not accept card payments as they are not equipped with payment terminals.
Economist Khaled Al-Delfaq, 42, said that while the shortages have pushed many to shift to using cards, there needs to be an accompanying shift in awareness, and work needs to be done to “make these services more accessible.”
But in the seeming absence of other options, many have already been converted.
Among those are Mohamed Al-Soussi, who was shopping for his family at a supermarket in Misrata.
“Transactions are more simple with the card. I don’t need to carry large wads of cash with me anymore,” he said.

Libya’s political upheaval has also precipitated another strange side-effect — multiple prints of 50-dinar banknotes.
Libya’s institutions have since 2014 been caught between the two camps vying for power in the oil-rich country, and its central bank is no exception.
Until last year, it had been split in two, with an internationally recognized headquarters in the capital and another in the east, with each printing bills signed off by their respective governors.
In 2012, new 50-dinar bills, the largest available denomination, were put into circulation to make life easier for consumers who often make cash payments in the thousands.
But last April, the central bank announced the withdrawal of those notes from circulation due to the proliferation of counterfeits.
“The situation became even more complicated with businesses refusing the 50-dinar bills,” said Moussab Al-Haddar, a 45-year-old teacher who was visiting his bank branch to request a card.
The central bank had initially set a deadline for the end of August for the notes to go out of circulation, before extending it to the end of the year.
In a bid to address the current crisis, the bank injected 15 billion dinars into the system in late October, while urging banks to facilitate the issuing of cards to clients.