Hundreds of thousands of people are trying to survive with the most basic resources as temperatures fall below freezing. Nearly five years of conflict have left much of the country's infrastructure destroyed or severely damaged.
"The humanitarian situation in Syria is catastrophic and deteriorating day by day. The people are facing a bitter winter ahead and they have very few resources. We need better access so that aid can be brought to the most vulnerable. The situation is nothing short of critical for many, many people," said Mr Mardini.
More than 12 million Syrians, including 5.5 million children, are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. More than 4 million people have fled abroad and around 8 million are displaced within the country; many have been forced to move several times.
"Many of the refugees in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon live in terrible conditions and are struggling to find warmth as temperatures fall. And they live with the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow will bring or even if they will ever make it back home one day," said Mr Mardini.
In Syria, The ICRC had been carrying out a number of activities to try to alleviate the situation. It has started distributing winter clothes for 300,000 children between the ages of six months and nine years old. Work has been done to improve the living conditions of dozens of collective-shelters and other places where displaced people are being hosted.
Since the beginning of the year, the ICRC together with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent provided food to over 7 million people. 15 million people benefited from water programs across the country.
Still in different story related to ICRC, unkown gunmen have abducted two ICRC staff members on their way to work this morning in the capital, Sanaa. One of them was released unharmed a few hours later. The second colleague is a Tunisian national; she is still being held.
“We do not know who is behind this abduction, but I appeal to those responsible to release our colleague as soon as possible,” said the ICRC head of delegation in Yemen, Antoine Grand. “It is encouraging that one of our staff members has already been released. Now, I hope, the second one will be freed. We are in Yemen to provide humanitarian help to the people. Actions like this, against humanitarian workers, only make it more difficult for us to provide the assistance the people so desperately need.”
The ICRC has halted all field movements in Yemen for the time being. There have been several security incidents involving the ICRC during the past few months. In September, two staff members were shot dead whilst travelling in a convoy between Saada and Sana'a.
The ICRC has been present in Yemen for more than fifty years working to assist people affected by the armed conflict. This assistance includes supplying urgently needed medicines to hospitals; visiting prisoners, rehabilitating water and electricity networks; and distributing food and water to people in the worst-affected areas. More than two million Yemenis have benefited from these services since the conflict started.
ICRC/MNA
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