Over 978,000 Syrians in hard-to-reach areas received aid in 2016, UN says

Since the beginning of 2016, more than 978,000 Syrians in hard-to-reach areas have received UN assistance, including food for at least one month, a UN spokesman said on Thursday.

That number included more than 364,000 people in besieged locations, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"However, much more access is required," he said.

OCHA reported on Thursday an inter-agency convoy was delivering food, health, nutrition, water and sanitation and other emergency supplies to the besieged Al-Waer neighborhood in Homs, a city in western Syria.

"This is the first of two convoys planned to the neighborhood, targeting 75,000 people in need," Dujarric said.

"The last inter-agency humanitarian delivery to this area was on 16 June. However, surgical items were removed during the loading."

"The United Nations continues to call on all parties, particularly the Syrian authorities, to allow for all necessary humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and surgical items, to be allowed onto convoys, as well as the deployment of medical teams or medical evacuations where necessary," he said.

Despite receiving government approvals to reach nearly all requested besieged and hard-to-reach areas requested by the UN as part of the July plan, access to many of these areas continues to be constrained by increased fighting and insecurity, differences in the estimate of the number of beneficiaries in these locations, and other administrative delays, he said.

"This is leading to unnecessary loss of life and compounds the suffering of civilians, particularly in the hot summer months," he added. Endit