United Nations refugee agency expands presence in Syria

, June 20: The UN refugee agency has opened a field office and warehouse in Syrian city of Sweida to expand the reach of its humanitarian efforts for thousands of internally displaced civilians, a UN spokesperson said on Thursday.

A convoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday crossed the border from Jordan.

It made its way to the nearby city of Sweida with 25,000 blankets, 10,000 sleeping mats, 2,500 kitchen sets, 2,000 plastic sheets and 5,000 jerry cans from warehouses in Amman, Stephane Dujarric, Xinhua quoted the UN spokesperson as saying at a daily news briefing here.

The aid will be distributed to the neediest among an estimated 550,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in the neighbouring governorates of Sweida and Dara'a, said Dujarric.

IANS