Two articles examine the humanitarian situation in Syria, focusing on polio vaccination efforts and the need for continuing support for the provision of basic humanitarian needs.

New York Times: Polio Vaccination Effort in Syria Appears to Have Some Effect
“The first polio outbreak in Syria in 14 years, which caused alarm when detected last September in the war-ravaged country, appears to have been contained halfway through an emergency vaccination effort for millions of children in the Middle East, two top World Health Organization officials said Thursday. … Syria’s confirmed cases — 17 — have remained static for many weeks, an indication that the vaccinations, which began in October and are to continue through March, are having some effect…” (Gladstone, 1/9).

U.N. News Centre: World Food Programme chief says tragic Syria crisis is ‘more than numbers’
“With the humanitarian situation in war-torn Syria ‘getting more difficult every day,’ the head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is urging the international community to continue supporting the wide-scale relief effort underway, and calling for increased access so aid workers can deliver basic supplies to families trapped in areas of heavy fighting…” (1/9).