UNHCR humanitarian aid convoy reaches displaced people in northern Syria

GENEVA, February 1 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency has this week completed a first delivery of winter emergency relief to the Azzas area of northern Syria where thousands of internally displaced people are living in makeshift camps.

Two hundred metric tons of tents and blankets (15,000 blankets, 3,000 tents) was airlifted last weekend from UNHCR's central warehouse in Copenhagen to a civilian airport near Latakia on the Syrian coast. From there, it was transported by road in an eight-truck convoy to an area between Aleppo and the Syrian-Turkish border.

The operation was only possible thanks to the logistics support of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the agreement and cooperation of the Syrian government and facilitation by the Syrian National Coalition. This allowed the convoy to safely reach people in need, in a strictly humanitarian and non-political operation.

In neighbouring countries the refugee numbers have continued to grow this week and 728,553 Syrians are now either registered as refugees or awaiting registration. This number comprises 237,623 in Lebanon; 227,484 in Jordan; 163,161 in Turkey; 79,769 in Iraq; 14,478 in Egypt and 6,338 in North Africa