A group of humanitarian aid organizations has launched a worldwide campaign focusing on the plight of civilians caught in fighting in Idlib province, northwestern Syria.
Armed forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia have been intensifying a military offensive against anti-government forces holed up in their last stronghold of Idlib and its surroundings since late April.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports 532 civilian deaths over the past two months alone.
Civilians there are often trapped in conflicts between extremist groups.
The chiefs of 11 UN bodies and international non-government organizations released video messages on Thursday appealing for the world's attention.
They say the lives of 3 million civilians, including 1 million children, are at risk and that Idlib is on the brink of a humanitarian nightmare.
Saying that "too many have died already," they deplored the devastating impact of the fighting on hospitals, schools and markets.
NHK
