Syria - IOM, as part of the UN OCHA-led inter-agency convoy organized from Damascus, this week reached Aleppo in Northern Syria, where an estimated 324,800 people remain in need of humanitarian assistance.

IOM’s contribution, as part of a 42-truck convoy, included 1,000 blankets and 832 clothing kits reaching 5,160 of the most vulnerable people. An estimated 4.7 million people in hard to reach areas in Syria are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

On June 22, the trucks delivered multiple supplies to cover health, food, and non-food items like education, hygiene and nutrition supplies expected to reach approximately 50,000 people.

Since January 2015, this is the fourth time IOM Damascus has delivered much-needed relief items within the Aleppo governorate, reaching a total of 11,160 beneficiaries.  In total, 100,000 people in hard to reach and besieged areas‎ from Damascus as well as in Turkey and Jordan have been served. Since the start of the year, IOM has assisted nearly 700,000 people across the country.

“Despite difficulties in accessing some areas, IOM provided relief assistance to the most vulnerable in Orm Alkubra, Maarat Al-artik, Kafar Hamra and recently in east Aleppo city through OCHA-led convoys,” said Maria Rumman, IOM Chief of Mission in Syria.

The protracted crisis in Syria has so far left over 7.6 million people internally displaced, many in their second and third stage of displacement, with an additional 540,000 newly displaced in 2015 alone.

Since the onset of the crisis in 2011, IOM has assisted over 4 million people affected by the conflict with the assistance of core relief items including shelter, and health, and livelihood support.

“About 40 per cent of our relief efforts are in hard to reach and cross line areas. IOM-organized trucks and inter-agency convoys are able to reach isolated communities but the shortage of funds is jeopardizing our ability to continue,” added Rumman.

IOM's humanitarian activities in response to the Syria crisis are supported by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, Kuwait, the United States, and the United Kingdom.   

For further information please contact Maria Rumman at IOM Syria, Tel: + 963 9333 11204, Email: mrumman@iom.int