The deadly earthquakes that have killed thousands across Türkiye and Syria come on the back of an already desperate situation facing Syria’s northwest, the UN Resident Coordinator for the Arab nation told UN News in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

El- Mostafa Benlemlih, who is also the UN’s top humanitarian official in Syria, said the needs were huge in the affected area, which has seen more than a decade of war, a recent deadly cholera outbreak, and freezing winter temperatures.

Abdelmonem Makki of our UN News Arabic team asked him to describe the latest situation on the ground.