UN: 6.8m Syrians, half of them children, require aid

About 6.8 million Syrians require humanitarian assistance as the more than two-year conflict has spread beyond Syria's borders, dpa quoted UN officials as saying Tuesday. Half of those needing aid are children, Valerie Amos, head of UN humanitarian affairs, said while briefing the UN Security Council. "This is a regional crisis, not a crisis in Syria with regional consequences," Amos said, describing the situation as "extremely grave" with long-term impact on the present and future generations of Syrians. Amos said 4.2 million of the total 6.8 million are internally displaced. More than 1.7 million Syrians have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries.