United Nations, Dec 11 (IANS) UN humanitarians said that the humanitarian situation in Syria remains volatile, with continuing hostilities and looting reported in the capital Damascus area but relative calm in the country’s northwest.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported challenges for aid delivery in parts of the northeast, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Airstrikes and other hostilities continue to be reported in Damascus, rural Damascus, Daraa, and As-Sweida,” OCHA said. “Some looting of aid warehouses, including those of UN agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has been reported.”
UN agencies and their partners said they are trying to identify the extent of the reported looting.
A curfew is in place in Damascus and its countryside, Latakia, and Tartous from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time. “While vital public services are gradually resuming, movement restrictions, including curfews, are hindering the flow of goods and services,” OCHA said.
The humanitarians have received reports from areas with relative calm of displaced people who fled hostilities in the past two weeks returning home.
“All 11 reception centers that had been opened in Idlib to host newly displaced families were empty as of yesterday (Monday),” the office said, adding that its partners in the northeast report people continuing to arrive in displaced sites.
The United Nations and partners continue aid activities as the security situation permits. OCHA said the cross-border operation from Turkey is continuing without any impediment.
“Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that 25 trucks carrying UN aid crossed to northwest Syria,” the office said. “Nine trucks carrying more than 200 tons of food crossed through Bab Al-Salam, while 16 trucks crossed through Bab Al-Hawa.”
UN partners also deployed 16 mobile medical teams to support the response in underserved areas and displacement camps. The UN Population Fund and the World Health Organization reported distributing health, surgical and trauma kits to support hospitals.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that food prices in markets across the country are increasing sharply. In the past two weeks, more than 20 partners delivered food to more than 590,000 people in northwest Syria.
WFP and its partners have provided meals to more than 40,000 people in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Latakia, Deir El Zor, Raqqa and Hasaka, according to the agency.
The UN Refugee Agency distributed cash assistance for winter support to more than 6,000 households in Idlib and northern Aleppo and transported 1,500 core relief item kits to Idlib while working with its partners.
–IANS
int/rs