UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations spokesman said Friday that the organization is "deeply concerned" by the prevalence of explosive hazards that continue to kill and injure civilians in Syria.
Citing the death of one child reportedly killed and another injured when an IED (improvised explosive device) exploded in Al-Atareb city, 35 kilometers west of Aleppo city in Syria, on Thursday, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq for UN secretary-general said at a regular briefing that the UN is "particularly concerned" about the wide use of IEDs that continue to kill and injure civilians in Syria.
Some 8.2 million men, women, and children are living in communities reporting explosive hazards exposed to the threat of grave injuries and death on a daily basis, Haq cited the 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview as saying.
The presence of explosive hazards is "a lethal barrier" to movement and delivery of humanitarian aid, and it endangers those who are seeking refuge from violence, he noted.
The UN continues to call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, in line with parties' obligations under International Humanitarian Law, the spokesman added.
