UNITED NATIONS, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Supplies to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children were flown into the northernmost Tigray region in Ethiopia, the first time since mid-December, a UN spokesman said on Thursday.

The move has contributed to a limited expansion in medical services, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

However, a lack of truck fuel limited the distribution of medical supplies to only some health facilities, he said.

Deliveries of aid and fuel by road through neighboring Afar remain suspended, he said. There was no distribution of food aid reported from Feb. 17 to 23 because supplies and fuel nearly ran out.

"Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the situation in northern Ethiopia remains extremely concerning," he said. "In the Afar region, people continue to be displaced by ongoing fighting adding to growing needs."

During the past week, some 18,000 people received food assistance in accessible areas affected by the conflict, Dujarric said. Some health services, water trucking and household items were provided to those recently displaced. There is a need to scale up assistance.

Overall, the number of people targeted for food assistance in Afar has grown to more than 620,000 people, he said. The last aid round in mid-October assisted about 530,000 people.

The spokesman said that aid deliveries continue in the neighboring Amhara region. The United Nations and humanitarian partners provided food for more than 283,000 people last week in Dessie and Kombolcha towns and in the North Gondar zone to complement government distributions.

Overall, more than 7 million people have been assisted in the current round of food distribution which began in late December, he said. Some areas in the north of Amhara remain inaccessible due to insecurity.

Extremely concerning levels of malnutrition continue to be reported in all three northern regions, said Dujarric.