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UN flags explosive remnants and winter needs as Syria aid reaches millions
Summary
The UN said partner agencies have distributed bread and other relief to millions while identifying numerous areas contaminated by explosive remnants of war and urging increased demining and fuel support for humanitarian operations.
The United Nations reported deliveries of bread and other emergency assistance across Syria while warning that explosive remnants of war and rising fuel costs continue to hamper relief efforts.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary‑General, told reporters that UN partners had provided bread to more than 2,400,000 people between late November and Jan. 12 and that more than 380,000 people had received food assistance, including hot meals.
Dujarric said partners had identified about 120 areas contaminated with explosive remnants of war across Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez‑Zor and Latakia, and since Nov. 26 had carried out 516 clearance operations. He said UNICEF had called for increased humanitarian demining to make communities safe again.
“OCHA says that the humanitarian response there continues amid security and logistical challenges,” Dujarric said, emphasizing that rising fuel prices are limiting people’s ability to travel to safe spaces and affecting humanitarian operations because of the cost of running generators, vehicles and heating.
UN teams and partners are continuing distributions of winter items including blankets, mattresses and clothing for displaced families, he added.
Dujarric also noted that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, was on a two‑day visit to Damascus and Lebanon to meet officials, civil society and UN colleagues; he will brief further on his visit in due course.
The UN appeal included requests for increased demining capacity and fuel support to maintain access to health facilities and shelters, and highlighted continuing security and logistical constraints that limit the scale of assistance.
