United Nations (UN) agencies have begun delivering winter packages for thousands of Syrian families across the country and in neighboring nations in preparation for the winter. According to a UN statement, inside Syria, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has now delivered vital aid packages to some 60,300 families, benefiting more than 300,000 people. “The goal is to provide such assistance to 500,000 people, or 100,000 families by the end of this year,” UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva. UN estimates have shown that Syria has been wracked by violence, with at least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began over 20 months ago. The violence has spawned more than 440,000 refugees, while more than 4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.