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UN: Humanitarian Situation in Syria Continues to Deteriorate

Lisa Schlein

   GEVENA, SWITZERLAND - The United Nations says conditions in Syria
   continue to deteriorate and humanitarian needs for millions of
   civilians remain acute across the war-torn country.

   U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi's job is to keep tabs on the
   humanitarian situation in Syria. She said conditions in this country,
   which has been at war for more than eight year, are alarming. She is
   appealing to the international community to protect and support
   millions of vulnerable civilians who lack the bare essentials for
   survival.

   She said an estimated 11.7 million people need humanitarian aid and
   five million are in acute need. She said it has been a particularly
   grave month for civilians caught up in intensified fighting between
   Government and rebel forces in Idlib in northwestern Syria.

   Her spokeswoman, Jenifer Fenton, said at least 350 civilians reportedly
   have been killed and more than 330,000 have been displaced. She said
   some three million people are at particular risk. She said they are
   trapped in the battle zone and are at the mercy of the warring parties
   as there is no place where they can flee.

   "Civilian infrastructure continues to be damaged and destroyed.
   Protection of civilians remains our foremost concern. Far too many
   civilians are dying. Fighting terrorism does not absolve any party of
   its obligations under international humanitarian law and we continue to
   call on parties to uphold their agreements and to stabilize the
   situation," said the spokeswoman.

   Fenton said the situation remains unsustainable for some 70,000 people
   living in the squalid, overcrowded Al Hol camp in northeastern Syria.
   These people fled to Al Hol after the Syrian government seized control
   of Deir-Ez-Zour, the radical Islamic State group's last stronghold.

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