WHO suspends medicines supplies for Syrians in IS controlled areas

UNITED NATIONS, March 27. /TASS/. The World Health Organization has been forced to halt the distribution of aid among 700,000 citizens of the northern Syrian areas currently under control of the Islamic State terrorist group, the UN humanitarian chief said. Valerie Amos announced on Thursday that the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization has also cut the aid distribution in the northern provinces of Syria. The UN has doubled its estimate of Syrians living in the areas affected by the blockade - from 212,000 to 440,000 people. The UN Security Council said in a press statement on Thursday that there is the lack of funding for providing assistance to the Syrian citizens and refugees hiding in other countries. The Council noted that the Syria Response Plan’s appeal for $2.9 billion is only 9 percent funded, and the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan’s appeal for $4.5 billion is only 6 percent funded. As a result, humanitarian aid agencies have reduced food rations for Syrians by 30 percent. According to the UN, some 12.2 million people in Syria and another 3.9 million refugees in neighboring countries need humanitarian aid. Read more