HATAY, Turkey

The United Nations on Monday sent 51 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Syria’s northwestern Idlib province where millions are desperately seeking assistance.

The trucks loaded with the supplies entered Syria through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province, which borders Idlib.

The aid will be distributed to people in Idlib city and nearby rural areas.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone. The area has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its allies.

It is currently home to four million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces throughout the war-weary country.