UN: 70% of Syrian People Need Assistance Today

The United Nations has expressed concern over the resurgence of conflicts in certain areas of Syria, stating that 12.2 million people out of an estimated 18 million population in Syria need assistance today. The new statistics have been described by the UN's senior humanitarian representative as 'grim statistics' that reflect the 'horror' of a severely violent war. On August 6, Stephen O'Brien reiterated the UN's call for finding a solution to end the battles in Syria during a meeting with members of the UN Security Council. According to the UN news center, Mr. O'Brien stated that with each passing day without a solution to the Syrian crisis, 'more people are losing their lives, more are becoming displaced, more are losing their basic needs, and a generation of children is growing up without education and even a glimmer of hope for the future.' The UN has also reported a lack of financial resources to assist the Syrian people and has urged donors to increase their contributions. The new statistics provided by the UN's senior humanitarian representative indicate that over 12.2 million people, nearly 70% of the total Syrian population, currently need assistance. According to these figures, at least 220,000 people have been killed, and over one million have been displaced in the ongoing civil war this year alone, bringing the total number of displaced persons to over 8.6 million. The UN states that access to water has halved, which has significantly increased waterborne diseases, ranging from diarrhea to hepatitis and typhoid. Stephen O'Brien also expressed concern about the recent conflicts in Syria. He noted that in recent weeks, Syrian government forces and their allies have escalated their attacks on the outskirts of Damascus to an unprecedented level of destruction and civilian casualties. O'Brien added that the attacks by militants on two villages in Idlib province, still under the control of Assad-affiliated forces, have raised his 'serious concerns' about the fate of 15,000 civilians there. This senior UN representative has voiced worries about the ongoing increase in battles in Syria. At the end of July, reports emerged of increased attacks by government forces and rebels in various areas, including Aleppo and two predominantly Shia villages in Idlib. Following these attacks, a group of rebels allied with 'Jabhat al-Nusra', an al-Qaeda affiliate, also increased their activities in Daraa. Bashar al-Assad, the head of the central government in Damascus, who controls less than half of the country, stated on August 4 in a public speech that his army is facing a shortage of manpower. The Syrian civil war has continued for over four years without a political solution despite relentless warnings from international organizations.