UN aims to feed 2.5 million Syrians
2013-02-05 19:01
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Syria
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Geneva - The UN food agency said on Tuesday it was
dramatically expanding its aid operation in Syria to reach a million more
people, in the face of growing alarm over the situation in the war-torn
country.
"In February, we hope to scale up our operations and
reach 1.75 million, then 2 million in March, and 2.5 million vulnerable Syrians
in April," said Elisabeth Byrs, a spokesperson for the World Food
Programme (WFP).
Since September, the WFP has been feeding about 1.5
million vulnerable Syrians with around 400 truckloads of food each month.
Access to opposition-controlled areas has been
particularly difficult, as it involves crossing battle frontlines, while the
Syrian government has maintained restrictions on international aid group
operations.
Byrs said the WFP had been able to send supplies to
between 40 and 50% of opposition-controlled areas, and was also reaching
government areas, although she did not elaborate.
"Aid is based on need, not political labels,"
she said.
Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Co-ordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, said the situation in Syria had deteriorated sharply.
"We've called the situation critical before. We're
at the point where we're calling it catastrophic," he told reporters in
Geneva.
"If the violence continues unabated, in the short
term we could see considerably more than the current 4 million in need of
urgent assistance, and more than 2 million internally displaced in Syria,"
Laerke said.
"In the face of this human tragedy, organisations
are struggling to reach more people, in more places, with more aid, but lack of
access is still a major obstacle."
The UN estimates that more than 60 000 people have been
killed since the revolt against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March
2011.
More than 730 000 Syrians have fled to neighbouring
countries.
