Foreign aid in NE Syria fully halted – Kurdish officials

The week-old Turkish invasion of northeastern Syria has forced all international non-governmental organizations to leave the area, AFP cited the Kurdish authorities as saying on Tuesday.

“The humanitarian plight of the displaced in areas targeted by the aggression has worsened with all humanitarian aid being cut and all international organizations ceasing their activities,” the statement said.

International non-governmental organization Mercy Corps said on Monday it was suspending its operations in the area and evacuating international staff. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said “more NGO staff had to withdraw and suspend operations.”

The World Food Program (WFP) said its operations were ongoing. The UN refugee agency UNHCR said it had assisted more than 30,000 people since the start of the escalation.