Almost 17 million Syrians in desperate need of humanitarian assistance: UN

The UN relief chief emphasized Tuesday that nearly 17 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, which is almost three-quarters of the population and the highest number since the beginning of the crisis.

According to Anadolu Agency, Martin Griffiths highlighted the urgent need for addressing the long-term impact of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, particularly in restoring basic services and providing adequate shelters for displaced pregnant women and girls.

The article mentions that the decline in essential facilities has increased reliance on humanitarian aid, leading to exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant and lactating women.

The official also called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and to take constant care to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

It should be mentioned that the conflict in Syria, which began in 2011, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and over 10 million people being displaced, according to UN estimates.