More than 12,3 million Syrian children are in need of humanitarian assistance, the United Nations (UN) warned today, saying this is the largest number of children at risk since the start of the conflict in the country in 2011, Beta reported.

"Millions of children continue to live in fear and uncertainty in Syria and neighboring countries and need help," said Adele Hadr, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

According to the latest figures from the UN agency, "more than 6,5 million children in Syria are in need of assistance and almost 5,8 million Syrian children in neighboring countries are dependent on such assistance."

UNICEF lamented the decline in international funding, claiming it had received "less than half of the funds needed this year".

The UNICEF Regional Director added that "prices for basic foodstuffs, including food, are skyrocketing, in part due to the crisis in Ukraine."