UN humanitarian affairs head calls for ME cooperation, thanks Turkey for assistance

Closer regional co-operation is needed to deal with humanitarian crises in the Middle East, the UN's head of humanitarian affairs Valerie Amos said in Iran on Sunday.

"Insecurity, fragmentation of arm groups and administrative obstacles imposed by the governments hamper the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance in Iraq, Syria and Gaza," said Amos, after meeting with Iranian officials to plan regional relief collaboration.

Amos pointed out that there are now 11 million people in need in Syria, an increase from 1 million at the start of the country's ongoing civil war three years ago.

The UN relief chief also thanked Turkey for providing humanitarian assistance without financial support from the UN.

Israeli military operations in the besieged Gaza Strip have more than 2,000 Palestinians since July and have added to the regional humanitarian crises, with Syria's three-year long civil war continuing and the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) militant group embedding its positions in both Syria and Iraq.