NUR-SULTAN, July 8. /TASS/. Improving the humanitarian situation in Syria should be the international community’s priority, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told reporters on the sidelines of an international meeting on Syria in Kazakhstan’s capital of Nur-Sultan on Thursday.

"We are working on improving the humanitarian situation in Syria. This should be the focus of the international community’s efforts right now," he pointed out.

"It’s not just about providing humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid is only part of humanitarian assistance as the focus should be on the implementation of various projects that are crucial in humanitarian terms," Lavrentyev added. According to him, these projects include the restoration of power and water supply, the reconstruction of schools and hospitals.

"We definitely welcome any humanitarian support that the international community provides. However, 80% of it is food. It’s good but food is eaten up, and if the international community’s money was spent on reconstruction projects, it would help the Syrian people achieve self-sufficiency in food and basic products," the Russian envoy emphasized.