UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos arrived in Syria on Tuesday to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country and discuss ways to scale up relief efforts.

Two million lives are now estimated to have been disrupted by the Syria crisis. More than one million are internally displaced as fighting continues in Damascus, Aleppo, and other cities. More than 140,000 people have fled the violence into Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. Most of them are living in tent camps near the borders.

The US on Tuesday lifted sanctions against former Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab, who defected last month. In a move aimed at encouraging similar defections from the Syrian government, the US Treasury Department unfroze Hijab’s assets.