The UN Syria envoy urges the Damascus government to allow humanitarian aid deliveries indicating the regime has broken its pledges on the distribution of life-saving supplies.
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It aims to halt fighting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and rebel factions, but does not include jihadists like ISIS.
Nevertheless, Turkey says it is making preparations to deliver humanitarian aid to Aleppo, where about 250,000 people in the rebel-held east are under government siege.
The United Nations urged Syria’s government on Thursday to “immediately” allow humanitarian aid into the country, after a fragile ceasefire was extended for 48 hours by Russian Federation and the United States.
The United States and Russian Federation agree on the value of extending the cessation of hostilities that began on Monday despite some continuing violence, Kirby said, but added that Kerry “expressed concerns about the repeated and unacceptable delays of humanitarian aid” during his conversation with Lavrov.
Over 2,000 people were killed in 40 days of fighting in Aleppo until the cease-fire went into effect Monday.
Efforts to bring aid to Syrians amid a cease-fire remained stalled Wednesday, challenging a key part of a deal brokered by the United States and Russian Federation to curb the violence and ease civilian suffering.
The two diplomats also agreed to extend the current truce by another 48 hours, Toner said.
Sana also reported violations of the cease-fire in the north-west villages of Foua, saying sniper fire by insurgents wounded a Syrian boy there.
De Mistura noted that even the Russians were expressing frustrations with the Syrian government over its blockade.
“The permits have not been given”, Jan Egeland, chairman of the Syrian humanitarian task force, said Thursday. A statement from other rebel groups said the ceasefire will “leave room for the regime to take advantage of the situation to achieve military gains that they would have been incapable of achieving before”.
The United Nations urged the Syrian regime on Thursday to allow immediate aid deliveries to hunger-stricken civilians in besieged areas after a ceasefire agreed between Russian Federation and the United States was extended for 48 hours.
The deal set off a seven-day period that will allow for humanitarian aid and civilian traffic into Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, which has faced a recent onslaught.
Activists reported the cease-fire was holding despite some violations, though the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group warned the rate of violations had escalated and three civilians were killed, including two children.
The agreement that Kerry and Lavrov reached last week calls for sustained delivery of humanitarian aid, along with a decrease in violence, as a requirement for the military co-operation to target Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked groups.
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Laerke also clarified United Nations comments a day earlier, saying that the United Nations does not require authorization from Syria’s government for cross-border aid deliveries under the terms of a Security Council resolution from 2014.
