UN aid chief: World must do more for besieged Syrians

U.N. Humanitarian and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos has called on the world to do more for over 9 million desperate Syrians, particularly those trapped in areas cut off from aid by months of fighting.Amos on Sunday highlighted the dire humanitarian satiation affecting 9.3 million Syrians as she concluded a visit to Damascus. The top U.N. relief official held talks with members of the government and humanitarian partners about the plight of communities that have been blocked by government or opposition forces and have not been reached with aid for months.“I am particularly worried about the reports of starvation,” Amos said, according to a statement released by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which she heads. She also discussed plans to intensify operations in 2014 to get more help to the neediest people.Speaking ahead of the High-Level Pledging Conference for Syria, which will be held Wednesday in Kuwait, Amos called on the international community to do more to help those who have been displaced by violence and are living in desperate conditions.“The world must do more for all the people who are displaced,” Amos said. “Many families are living in abandoned buildings, schools, or in makeshift shelters, without enough food, clean water, or medicine. We must help them to get through this very cold winter.”