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Turkey's Military Action Interrupted Syria Humanitarian Effort, UN Says

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - U.N. agencies say intense shelling and airstrikes by Turkish
   forces along the northeastern Syrian border with Turkey are having a
   devastating impact on the estimated 3 million people who live there.

   Jens Laerke, spokesman for the Office for the Coordination of
   Humanitarian Affairs, says some 2.2 million people living in the
   Kurdish-controlled area could be affected. He says most are in need of
   humanitarian aid, as are hundreds of thousands of civilians in nearby
   government-controlled cities.

   "United Nations and NGO staff remain on the ground and ready to
   respond, access and security permitting," Laerke said. "But active
   military operations have, of course, had an impact on our ability to
   provide relief, and local authorities have reportedly imposed strict
   security measures at checkpoints."

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