Humanitarian aid on Tuesday (March 20th) reached families displaced to the northern Syrian town of Tal Rifaat by the offensive in nearby Afrin, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Afrin to seek refuge in Tal Rifaat, AFP reported.

The humanitarian situation in the town has been dire, and on Tuesday the ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) began delivering much-needed aid.

"The 14-truck convoy includes 25 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid. Distribution of bread, blankets and bottles of water already started," said ICRC spokeswoman Ingy Sedky.

Deliveries would also include diapers, kitchen sets and water tanks.

According to the UN, around 100,000 people have fled the fighting in Afrin, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the number could be as high as 250,000.

Some 75,000 people have fled into Tal Rifaat alone, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA).

"The massive influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is putting a strain on host communities, which are already overwhelmed," OCHA said Monday.

Classes in the town had been cancelled as all 16 of its schools were being used as shelters. A single health facility was serving all the displaced, OCHA said.

Another 24,000 people fled Afrin for the regime-controlled towns of Nubol and Zahraa, the UN has said.

The ICRC and SARC distributed 2,700 mattresses, 12,000 blankets and other basic necessities to displaced people there, the ICRC said Tuesday.