WELLINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand will make a further 1.5 million NZ dollars (1.1 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian assistance available to help people affected by the on-going conflict in Syria, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Thursday.
"The situation for civilians in Syria remains dire, with more than 13 million people requiring humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs," Peters said in a statement.
The public infrastructure in Syria has been devastated. More than half of the medical clinics and one in three schools have been destroyed. Access to safe drinking water is limited for much of the population, he said.
The funding will be delivered via the International Committee of the Red Cross which will help provide food assistance, access to water and sanitation, and medical support to hospitals and health centers in Syria, Peters said.
"New Zealand also calls on all sides to respect international law, protect civilians, and ensure rapid and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel and delivery of aid," he said.
This latest contribution brings New Zealand's total humanitarian funding for the Syrian crisis to 23.5 million NZ dollars (17.2 million U.S. dollars) to Syria since 2011.