Humanitarian crisis grows in Syria

(Vatican Radio) Syrian troops shelled a besieged town near Damascus and clashed with rebels on the outskirts of the capital on Saturday. Meanwhile, civilians are continuing to suffer as the Assad regime approaches collapse -- and the humanitarian crisis is growing more desperate. Civilians are continuing to suffer as the Assad regime approaches collapse in Syria -- and the humanitarian crisis is growing more desperate.

Patrick Weiland, the head of a Doctors Without Borders team, has just returned from the region around Dier Ezzour. He says most of the city's resident's have fled - but between 10,000 and 30,000 people are stranded.

“They feel isolated, neglected, abandoned by the international actors being the media, being humanitarian actors. They are facing shelling everyday on a daily basis since months now and these people are trapped and they have lots of difficulties to evacuate,” he said.

Meanwhile, a campaign in Syria to protect young children against measles and polio has been described by the UN children's agency (UNICEF) as amazing, as it is under way even as fighting rages on.

UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado says since the campaign started on 26 November, more than 1 million children have received polio and measles vaccines.

"The numbers speak for themselves but our field workers are telling us that throughout the country you are seeing long lines of parents with their children waiting for the vaccines even in places like Homs. One of our field workers is talking about visiting health centres where the sounds of the children crying after they have been vaccinated are mixing with the sounds of gunshots and shelling out in the streets. It's an amazing campaign that really has been made possible with huge support from the community,” she said.

Mercado says religious leaders have done a lot of work in getting the message out to the people and the Syrian Red Crescent has been, in her own words, "incredibly helpful as well".

Listen to the report by correspondent Nathan Morley: