UN: 34% of children in northwest Syria suffer stunting

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - In northwest Syria, 34% of all children, or more than one in three under the age of 5, suffer from stunting, according to a UN humanitarian chief on Wednesday.

In the region, child stunting increased by 5% this year, while up to 37% of mothers are malnourished in areas of displacement, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock told UN Security Council at a briefing.

Across Syria, more than 80% of displaced families say their income does not cover their needs, while families in which women are the primary breadwinner make 30% less on average income compared to other displaced families.

Lowcock stressed that water shortages continue to be a problematic issue in northwest Syria, affecting 185,000 people.

He said humanitarian organizations are trucking over 2,000 cubic meters of water to the area every day, but added that is neither enough nor sustainable.

"Electricity from Turkish providers last month increased pumping at local wells, but supply is still far short of needs. Water supply from the Ein El Bayda pumping station to Al Bab could meet these needs, and should immediately resume," he said.