(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
GENEVA, 20th July, 2019 (WAM) -- An estimated 11.7 million people across Syria need humanitarian assistance, five million of which are in acute need, revealed Senior Humanitarian Adviser to the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, on Friday.
During the International Syria Support Group's Humanitarian Task Force meeting in Geneva, Rochdi renewed her call to member states to support the UN's immediate humanitarian priorities.
In a statement, Rochdi highlighted that at least 350 civilians are reported to have been killed in recent hostilities in the Idlib de-escalation area. "Some three million civilians lack protection and face a deteriorating humanitarian situation," she warned, adding that more than 330,000 individuals have been displaced.
"Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, continue, with reports of 45 incidents impacting 35 health facilities already confirmed this year," Rochdi noted, echoing the UN Secretary-General's condemnation of such attacks, which recently included one of the largest hospitals in Maraat al Numan. The hospital's coordinates had been shared with the parties to the conflict through the UN de-confliction mechanism.
She affirmed, "Strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure -- including de-conflicted health facilities and humanitarian workers -- are absolutely unacceptable and may amount to war crimes."
"Civilian fatalities and casualties from airstrikes have also been recently reported in the village of Takihi in eastern Deir ez-Zor district.
"Even the fight against terrorism must be in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law, and perpetrators of serious violations of international law must be brought to justice," Rochdi added.
[Image Credit: UNICEF/Khalil Ashawi]
WAM//Nour Salman
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