ICRC convoy reaches Bustan Al-qasr in Aleppo. Photo: Courtesy of ICRC

  

Displaced children at a camp in Lattakia. Photo: Courtesy of ICRC

   
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s local branch in Syria says it is very concerned about the potential escalation of violence in the face of strikes mulled by the US.

"Although the strikes have not even started, and they are just being debated right now, there are actually thousands of people who have crossed to Lebanon over the past couple of days," Rima Kamal, spokeswoman for the ICRC in Syria, told the Global Times. "Last week, for example, when people were expecting things to happen, we have 10,000 people who crossed to Lebanon in one day. And this is double the usual daily number."

The ICRC said it is trying to prepare in all cases to remain operational, including increasing stocks of food and medications, although it is very difficult to predict what will happen if a US strike takes place.

"We can't know at this point whether there will be the space for humanitarian work to take place as a result of escalation of violence," Kamal said, saying the biggest concern is that the ICRC may not get full access to the affected areas, a problem it experienced during the past two years.

She gave the instance in the ICRC's request to enter eastern Ghouta, which is in rural Damascus and saw the alleged use of chemical weapons on August 21.

The area, which is occupied by armed rebels and has seen ongoing military operations for over a year, has a large number of civilians, who are in desperate need of medication and food.

"We tried to enter the area for 15 times over the past six months, and the requests have not been granted. So this is very frustrated," said Kamal.

The escalating violence has also added to the difficulties in the ICRC's humanitarian work, and caused injuries to the organization's staff members.

The crisis in Syria entered a deadly phase in July 2012, after which there was a sudden increase in casualties and displacement. According to the ICRC, about 5 million people in Syria have left their homes.

"What is so sad is that a lot of people have left their homes twice or three times," said the spokeswoman.

"I spoke to a woman who said that a mortar shell hit her balcony at 4 o'clock in the morning, and her husband was not home. So she just grabbed her children out of their beds and out of their house. She was wearing her night gown and the children were bare-footed. When they came back to the house, it was destroyed. So they left home without money, ID, clothes, food and without anything."

According to the ICRC, in the first eight months of this year, it had worked with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver food to nearly 2 million people, plus household kits for half a million people, and ensured that more than 20 million people had access to drinking water.

It has also delivered medical and surgical supplies, plus medicines for the treatment of chronic diseases, to health facilities on both sides.