Washington, Apr 2 (IANS): The US government Sunday announced an additional $12.2 million in humanitarian aid for Syria as the second meeting of "Friends of Syria" kicked off in Turkey's largest city Istanbul.

The US State Department in a statement said that the new aid, consisting of medical supplies and other humanitarian relief for displaced and vulnerable Syrian communities, brought the total amount of US assistance to Syria to nearly $25 million, Xinhua reported.

"The United States is pursuing every avenue to get humanitarian relief into Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure full and unfettered access for humanitarian organisations to reach those in need," the statement said.

In March, the US provided more than $12 million in humanitarian assistance to the Syrians suffering from continued violence.

The US aid will be used to support the work of international organisations, including the World Food Programme, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

According to the World Food Programme, an estimated 1.4 million people have become food insecure as a result of the year-long violence in Syria.