“Based on the findings of our assessment team, we decided to provide food and other essential items to more than 13,000 people affected by the recent fighting as a first emergency response,” explained Jan Nicolas Schuett, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Alfasher, who is supervising the operations. “We will start the distribution today, but it will probably take another three days to reach everyone.”

The ICRC assistance will include a half-month food ration for almost 11,500 people affected by the latest events in the area. In addition, almost 2,000 people will receive basic household items such as kitchen sets, tarpaulins, blankets, mats, soap, jerrycans and buckets to help them cope with the situation.

“We are distributing enough food for two weeks,” said Mr Schuett. “That should be sufficient until more food is delivered to the affected families by other humanitarian agencies that will be able to enter the area within the coming weeks.”

The ICRC is a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, and to provide them with assistance.