UN: Staggering 15.3 million Syrians, nearly 70% of population, need aid

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says that for the first time in Syria’s 12-year war people in every district are experiencing some degree of “humanitarian stress.” The world body says Tuesday that a staggering 15.3 million — nearly 70% of the population — need humanitarian aid. A U.N. appeal for $5.4 billion to help over 14 million people in Syria is less than 10% funded and the U.N. World Food Program has warned that without additional money, 2.5 million people are at risk of losing food or cash assistance from July. The dire humanitarian situation, compounded by the February earthquake that devastated the rebel-held northwest, was spelled out to the Security Council by the U.N. humanitarian office’s operations director.