The United Nations said Wednesday it has received approval from the Assad regime for aid deliveries to three more besieged areas including Darayya where there have been no humanitarian supplies of food since 2012.
The five-year Syrian crisis, which Assad regime is the root cause of it, resulted in killing more than 400.000 Syrians and displacing more than 7 millions out of their homes, either remained inside Syria of fled the war. Other tens of thousands found themselves besieged in their own towns and cities, with no access to the basic needs.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the Assad regime had given the green light for convoys to reach Darayya, Douma and Moadamiyeh, which are under siege by Assad forces.
The regime has rejected requests for aid convoys to Al’Waer in the Homs region of western Syria and Zabadani in rural Damascus.
“We are continuing to seek permission for those areas for land convoys,” he said.
Last week Syria’s government, under pressure from its ally Russia and other countries belonging to the International Syria Support Group overseeing the peace process, allowed the first U.N. aid convoy into Darayya since late 2012.
It brought baby milk and medical supplies to support an estimated 4,000 civilians, just in time for Syria to meet a Thursday deadline to improve aid access or face having aid deliveries imposed by air drops.
The United Nations has said it will consider carrying out airdrops and airlifts of aid to besieged towns, but this would require the approval of the Assad regime.
At least 592,000 people live under siege in Syria and another four million live in hard-to-reach areas, according to the United Nations.
Western diplomats are skeptical of the Assad regime approvals, noting that in the past aid convoys that had received the regime’s consent were stripped of vital supplies before they reached their destination.
Later on Thursday, Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) In cooperation with UN Offices delivered the second convoy to Darayya loaded with (food items & flour and medical supplies).
