Humanitarians continue to provide support to people caught up in conflicts in the Middle East region, the UN reported on Thursday.
Speaking in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the recent escalation in northwest Syria, saying it was painful to see the country's progressive fragmentation.
The Syrian war began nearly 14 years ago, sparked by a civil uprising against the Government.
Renewed fighting last week led by the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other armed groups has engulfed parts of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, shifting frontlines that had remained unchanged since 2020.
Thousands of families uprooted
Local authorities in Hama report that tens of thousands of families have been displaced, some of whom have fled the city for Homs, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, speaking during his daily media briefing from New York.
He noted that Hama had previously been a destination for people fleeing hostilities in and around Idleb and Aleppo, "so one can only imagine the scale of the crisis in that city".
Separately, UN child rights agency UNICEF called for the protection of children amid the escalating crisis.
The agency is seeking just over $488 million to support seven million people in the region, including 4.3 million children, with life-saving services such as water, sanitation and hygiene, healthcare, nutrition, education, and protection.
Mr. Dujarric said the UN and partners continue to provide support wherever and whenever they can, to people displaced by the ongoing hostilities.
Cross-border mission from Türkiye
On Wednesday, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, David Carden, led a cross-border mission to Idleb from Türkiye to assess the situation.
He was joined by several UN agencies including aid coordination office OCHA , the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN refugee agency UNHCR , the World Health Organization ( WHO ), and staff from the UN security department.
The team also visited a reception center in Dana hosting dozens of newly displaced households and spoke with families who fled their homes in western Aleppo.
"During the visit, our refugee agency and local partners provided mattresses, blankets, cooking materials and other items. People at the reception centre urgently need water and sanitation support, as well as heating material," said Mr. Dujarric.
Local hospitals overstretched
The mission also visited the Sham Surgical Hospital, which is treating patients wounded by the recent attacks. During the period from 27 November to 2 December, the hospital alone provided life-saving care to more than 200 people, while its ambulance system supported more than 130 people.
Mr. Dujarric said WHO is providing medical supplies to the hospital, including trauma kits, but added that health workers there are not being paid due to underfunding.
He told reporters that since the start of the escalation of hostilities, more than 30 health facilities in northwest Syria have ceased operations, which is putting immense strain on the remaining functional hospitals.
Paulo Pinheiro, head of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, discusses the escalation.
