UN Says 1.5 Million Syrians Need Humanitarian Help

The United Nations says the number of people needing humanitarian assistance in Syria has risen to 1.5 million.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also said on June 22 that aid agencies are facing "significant" constraints in reaching Syrian civilians who need basic goods and protection because of the deteriorating security situation in the Middle Eastern country.

The statement said those needing assistance include 350,000 in the northern Idlib Province, and some 250,000 in the city of Homs, which has seen heavy fighting during the 15-month-old conflict.

The statement quoted UN refugee agency officials as saying that more than 96,000 Syrian refugees have now been registered in the neighboring countries of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey -- a rise of nearly 20,000 people since May 31.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters