Wounded Syrians flee to Turkey
- 12 years ago
A wounded child - one of dozens of Syrians being treated in a state hospital in Turkey after a deadly air strike on the town of Azaz.
At least 7,000 Syrians crossed into Turkey in the past 24 hours, adding to fears of a possible refugee crisis in the country.
According to the U.N. refugee agency nearly 65,000 Syrians have now sought refuge in nine Turkish camps, with around 40 percent of these arriving in August alone.
As the fighting escalates the humanitarian situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly.
At a press briefing in Geneva, the U.N. health organisation said civillians are cut off from from food supplies, health care and other vital assistance.
SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF WHO'S EMERGENCY RISK MANAGEMENT AND HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE DEPARTMENT, RICHARD BRENNAN, SAYING:
"We're seeing increased rates of infectious diseases because of damage to sanitation systems and so on, so one particular incidence we've seen is within an area of rural Damascus, we've seen an increased rate in diarrhoea, about 103 cases."
Meanwhile, France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius wrapped up his visit to Lebanon saying that Beirut should do more to help the refugees.
Fabius said he also expected more defections from Syria's government, just days after the defection of Syria's prime minister Riyad Hijab.
At least 7,000 Syrians crossed into Turkey in the past 24 hours, adding to fears of a possible refugee crisis in the country.
According to the U.N. refugee agency nearly 65,000 Syrians have now sought refuge in nine Turkish camps, with around 40 percent of these arriving in August alone.
As the fighting escalates the humanitarian situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly.
At a press briefing in Geneva, the U.N. health organisation said civillians are cut off from from food supplies, health care and other vital assistance.
SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF WHO'S EMERGENCY RISK MANAGEMENT AND HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE DEPARTMENT, RICHARD BRENNAN, SAYING:
"We're seeing increased rates of infectious diseases because of damage to sanitation systems and so on, so one particular incidence we've seen is within an area of rural Damascus, we've seen an increased rate in diarrhoea, about 103 cases."
Meanwhile, France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius wrapped up his visit to Lebanon saying that Beirut should do more to help the refugees.
Fabius said he also expected more defections from Syria's government, just days after the defection of Syria's prime minister Riyad Hijab.