United Nations, Nov 10 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is greatly concerned by the recent escalation of violence in northwest Syria, including shelling and airstrikes, which has resulted in civilian deaths and casualties in and around camps for internally displaced persons in Idlib governorate, said a spokeswoman.

Guterres calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from escalating the situation, said Stephanie Tremblay, an associate spokesperson for the Secretary-General, on Wednesday.

The Secretary-General calls for calm and reaffirms the need for a nationwide ceasefire as called for in Security Council Resolution 2254, she told a daily press briefing as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

On Tuesday, Tremblay added that at least 121 civilians had been killed and 210 others injured in northwest Syria this year. Humanitarian conditions continue to decline due to ongoing hostilities and a deepening economic crisis. Nearly 4.1 million people -- 80 per cent of them women and children -- rely on UN aid to meet their most basic needs.