UNITED NATIONS, Safar 25, 1436, Dec 17, 2014, SPA -- The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved extending cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians in rebel-held areas without Syrian government approval. According to AP, the resolution adopted Wednesday expresses grave distress at the "devastating humanitarian situation" and the fact that 12.2 million Syrians require urgent assistance including medical aid. This includes 7.6 million people displaced inside Syria, 4.5 million in hard-to-reach areas and 212,000 in besieged areas. The resolution extends until Jan. 10, 2016 the authorization for U.N. agencies and aid organizations that assist them to deliver humanitarian assistance without approval from President Bashar Assad's government. --SPA 18:50 LOCAL TIME 15:50 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w