Five more people have died of starvation in the Syrian town of Madaya.

Médecins Sans Frontières is calling for medical evacuations for 18 patients at its clinic including a seven-month-old girl and a 70-year-old woman.

The latest deaths followed the arrival of the first UN humanitarian convoy into the town on January 11th. MSF-supported medics now say there have been 35 confirmed deaths from starvation in the town.

Brice de le Vingne, Director of Operations for MSF, said, “this is shocking; patients are still dying despite the arrival of two big international humanitarian convoys. Some of the current patients may not survive another day.

"Medical evacuations for the most critically sick and malnourished need to happen immediately, and it is hard to understand why patients clinging on to life have not already been evacuated," he adds.

The news comes as a demonstration will take place in Dublin this afternoon in solidarity with the people of Syria from 2pm today.

The demonstration is being held at Bank of Ireland, Westmoreland Street, and is organised by the Irish Syria Solidarity Movement.

Valerie Fuze is from the group and says the current situation has been going on for far too long, and that it's almost exactly two years since a UN panel said there were crimes against humanity being committed in the country.