UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN humanitarian operation director warned Friday that some three million people are at risk amidst the ongoing escalation of hostilities in northwestern Syria.
"There are some three million people living in the Idlib de-escalation zone, which includes parts of Idlib, Aleppo, Lattakia, and Hama governorates," John Ging, director of the Operational Division at the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council.
The Idlib de-escalation zone is the last remaining of the four created by the Astana process, which is poised to be violated. The process, initiated in early 2017 in the neutral Kazakh capital of Astana, works in tandem with the Geneva talks with an aim to resolve the Syrian crisis.
Ging pointed out that of the three million, 2.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 1.4 million people who are internally displaced.
As a result of insecurity, he said schools in western Idlib around Jisr Ash-Shugur and surrounding communities have been suspended.
Key crossing points between government and opposition controlled areas are also reportedly closed, he added, restricting freedom of movement for the population and contributing to rising food prices and shortages.
