Humanitarian aid reaching all settlements in Syria - Russia’s foreign ministry

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign ministry notes progress in the work of humanitarian task force on Syria, saying humanitarian aid has started reaching all the settlements. "We are glad to note progress in the work of humanitarian task force set up in line with the statement adopted in Munich on February 12," the ministry said on Friday. "Humanitarian assistance has started reaching all the settlements included in the document." The ministry said however that humanitarian situation in Syria remains difficult, but the international community makes all efforts to normalize it. "Russia consistently backs international efforts on providing humanitarian assistance to the people in need in Syria," the statement read. UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said around 110,000 people have been provided with necessary assistance due to this effort. Another batch of humanitarian aid will be sent to these areas in the coming days. According to UN’s chief, every month some 6 million Syrians receive food supplied by humanitarian organizations of the United Nations and partners. The overall number of Syrian refugees is estimated at 4.6 million people. The number of internally displaced people is put at over 7.6 million people, including those who left their homes and moved to safer areas in Syria. The Syrian government and local citizens provide assistance to them. The first airdrop of humanitarian aid under the World Food Program was carried out on Wednesday to Deir ez-Zor, a northeastern Syrian city seized by the Islamic State group, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O'Brien said. A batch of 21 tons was airdropped by a chartered Russian plane. Since January, the Syrian city has received a total of 250 tons of food supplies, essentials and medicines. Read more