Aid worker tells of struggle to survive in war-torn Syria

Alan Glasgow (42) from Blackrock said: "It's hard not to be affected by what is unfolding here."

Alan is a member of the GOAL senior management team, a charity that has been supporting displaced families in Syria since November.

Aid stocks and funding from the Irish and US governments are set to arrive in the coming days.

The Dublin man told the Herald how he and a team from GOAL recently travelled to the town of Kilis to meet displaced communities and assess their needs.

Kilis is 20km from Idlib, which marks the front line between troops loyal to the Assad regime and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters.

"The people here spend much of their time searching the sky for government sorties.

Artillery

"They live in constant terror of aerial attacks. The day before our visit, the neighbouring town of Salqin was attacked by government fighter jets, killing 12 and injuring many more," he said.

"But artillery fire from the nearby government base is more likely to cause problems."

For more information about GOAL: www.goal.ie.

hnews@herald.ie