WHO expands operations in Syria, delivering tons of medical supplies. Syria: UN expands humanitarian operations amid instability Humanitarian aid
UN humanitarian agencies and their partners are expanding operations in Syria, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a briefing in New York.
Today, a World Health Organization (WHO) team crossed the border from Turkey into Syria for the first time this year. In the northern Aleppo town of Azaz, WHO specialists will train local paramedics in trauma care. Additional WHO cross-border missions are planned in the coming days.
Meanwhile, partner organizations are sounding the alarm over fuel, electricity and water shortages in Aleppo. Manbidge Hospital, which serves about 100,000 people, has been relying entirely on generators to power incubators and intensive care units for several days.
“Healthcare facilities across the country continue to report critical shortages of medical supplies, including medications for chronic diseases, gloves and syringes,” Dujarric said.
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The World Food Programme, in collaboration with the Syrian Red Crescent, resumed distributing food rations this month. More than 3,600 families will receive food each month.
Efforts to support the population during the winter season are also ongoing. Humanitarian organizations, in particular, distribute winter clothing and blankets.
Meanwhile, more than 620,000 men, women and children remain internally displaced across Syria, and the situation remains volatile – violence continues in some parts of the country.
Mines and unexploded ordnance pose a serious threat to the civilian population. “According to our partners, from January 2 to 5 alone, 13 civilians were killed and dozens were injured as a result of landmine explosions in the northwest of the country. Our demining partners report that the number of such incidents in Syria has increased sharply in December, up more than 300 percent from November,” Dujarric said.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is in constant communication with key players in the region and beyond. He is scheduled to brief the Security Council via video link from Geneva on Wednesday.