Violence In Syria's Northwest Displaces Over 140,000 People In Past 3 Days - Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2020) Ongoing hostilities in northwest Syria have displaced more than 140,000 people in the past three days, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Friday.

"Overnight hostilities have continued across most of Idlib and Aleppo," Dujarric said. "Over 830,000 people have now been displaced since the beginning of December, and that includes 143,000 displacements of people in the last three days."

Dujarric noted that women and children make up about 81 percent of those recently displaced. Families are exposed to extremely harsh conditions amid freezing temperatures across the country's northwest.

Some 72 health facilities, capable of assisting an average of 106,000 outpatient cases per month, have reportedly suspended operations in the areas impacted by conflict in Idlib and Aleppo, Dujarric added.

He also said that the United Nations and humanitarian partners continue to scale up the responses. However, the growing needs surpass the capacity of aid operations.

Additionally, the World Food Program (WFP) reported about the 24-hour break in aid distributions this week due to the escalated fighting.

"Fighting disrupted the movement of trucks carrying supplies into the region from Turkey," the spokesman explained. "WFP has pre-positioned food inside the area to support growing needs."