UN: 45,000 fled homes in Syria's eastern Ghouta
The UN refugee agency says 45,000 Syrians have left their homes in the besieged region of eastern Ghouta in recent days, amid a Syrian government-led offensive against the rebel-held area.
UNHCR says hundreds of thousands of people are "still trapped by fierce fighting and in dire need of aid."
Spokesman Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that UNHCR is not involved in the evacuation into government-controlled areas near Damascus, though its teams have been at "makeshift collective shelters."
He said "shortage of appropriate shelter is a major concern", and UNHCR has delivered 180,000 "core relief items" such as mattresses, blankets, winter clothes kits, solar lamps and kitchen sets.
The agency called for "full and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians" in the region—both inside and outside eastern Ghouta.
