(New York) – Less than 20 per cent of the “desperate” civilians living in Syria’s hard-to-reach areas have gotten the humanitarian aid they need so far this year, a senior United Nations official warned, calling for the Security Council to help ease their plight.
“Those two million people, in places like northern rural Homs, Douma and southern Damascus, are some of the most desperate in the country,” Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said during his briefing to the 15-member body.
During a recent visit to Saqba and Kafr Batna in eastern Ghouta, UN staff observed the resumption of some services, with electricity, education and health facilities starting up once more, and a limited number of businesses and markets reopening.
“But it was clear that there are huge unmet needs, and extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure,” Lowcock said.
