NITED NATIONS, May 12 -- Vital humanitarian supplies were delivered last week to civilians in six hard-to-access towns in northwestern rural Aleppo, Syria, a UN spokesman said here Monday.

"UN and Red Crescent humanitarian workers delivered food, nutrition and hygiene assistance, first on May 8 to Kfar Hamra, Maaret Elartiq, Hariten and Hayyan, and then on May 9 to Nabul and Zahraa," Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

The United Nations and partners plan to scale up their presence in eastern Aleppo city and western and northern rural Aleppo, in a series of deliveries through inter-agency convoys and regular agency programs, he said.

"The humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, said that efforts by the United Nations and its partners to get access to civilians, wherever they are, will continue," the spokesman said.

"Every affected civilian in Syria has the right to a dignified life where their basic humanitarian needs are met," he said, quoting El Hillo.

UN humanitarian agencies continue to call on all parties to the conflict to facilitate access to affected civilians and ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers, he said.

Of Syria's population of more than 22 million people, nearly half is in need of aid, and there are more than 2.5 million refugees in neighboring countries. More than 100,000 people have died since the Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011.