UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and its partners are scaling up aid operations across Syria to meet critical humanitarian needs of more than 11 million people, a UN spokesman said Friday.
The campaign includes efforts to help contain the spread of COVID-19 both from within Syria and through critically important cross-border assistance, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. It provides an essential lifeline to millions of vulnerable people living in the conflict-torn northwest of the country.
"In January to March this year, the UN along with its partners reached on average 6.2 million people in need each month across Syria - meaning both government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas," Dujarric said. "This assistance is saving lives, but more has to be done."
Also, the worsening economy and extreme volatility of the informal exchange rate in Syria has begun to impact families already struggling to cope with the impact of nine years of civil war, he told correspondents in a regular briefing.
The UN's World Food Programme previously sounded the alarm over the rapid increase of food insecurity in the country: 9.3 million people are food insecure, an increase of 1.4 million in just six months. Enditem
