Two million Syrians live in besieged areas: UN

The United Nations says about two million people in Syria are living in besieged areas as a result of the ongoing violence in the Arab country.

The remarks were made by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos on Thursday.

“We estimate that there are two million people in besieged areas we have not been able to reach and there are terrible stories of those people running out of food, of people being injured, who are not able or allowed to leave.

This comes shortly after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN Security Council (UNSC) had made a “strong commitment to relieve the humanitarian situation” in Syria, but it needed to complete the commitment with action.

In a statement on October 2, the UNSC urged all parties to take control of the conflict and help UN agencies and private aid groups “to take immediate steps to facilitate the expansion of humanitarian relief operations.”

Amos welcomed the statement, saying, “Ultimately, the international community must find a lasting political solution to end the suffering of ordinary Syrians.”

She also underscored the importance of declaring a ceasefire as the top priority to end the current situation in the country.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, over 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence.