“Secretary Kerry expressed concerns about the repeated and unacceptable delays of humanitarian aid and emphasized that the United States expects Russian Federation to use its influence on the Assad regime to allow U.N. humanitarian convoys to reach Aleppo and other areas in need”, Kirby said.
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The U.N.’s Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that the truce was holding “by and large”.
The U.N. said 20 trucks loaded with aid had crossed into a buffer zone between Turkey and Syria, voicing hope the supplies could be delivered to besieged rebel-held districts of Aleppo city Friday.
The truce deal has calmed much of the fighting in Syria but desperately needed humanitarian aid has not yet been allowed to reach civilian areas as planned under the agreement. “The humanitarian aid, the most substantial change for the people of Syria other than the cessation of bombings, has run into problems”, United Nations special envoy for the Syria crisis Staffan de Mistura told journalists at the UN’s headquarters in Geneva today.
“It’s particularly regrettable because we are losing time”, de Mistura said.
In addition to rebel-controlled eastern Aleppo, UN convoys with the right permits are willing to go to Moadameya, Al-Waer, Talbiseh, Douma and other besieged areas, according to Egeland.
Washington said late Wednesday that US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov had agreed to prolong the ceasefire that began on Monday.
Russia’s military announced Thursday evening that Syrian government forces had begun withdrawing from the route to Aleppo, though the Pentagon said it had no indication of a withdrawal.
Jan Egeland, a top United Nations coordinator of aid for Syria, says in a text message that the U.N.is waiting for assurances on “monitoring arrangements”.
At a press briefing, Toner said: “And I think there was agreement between the two of them that as a whole, despite sporadic reports of violence, as a whole the arrangement is holding and violence is, I’d say, significantly lower in comparison to previous days and weeks”.
The Russian military also claimed that the Syrian opposition has used the truce to regroup and strengthen its forces.
“Our appeal is the following”, Egeland said.
“Can well-fed grown men please stop putting political, bureaucratic and procedural road blocks for fearless humanitarian workers that are willing to go to serve women, children, wounded civilians in besieged and crossfire areas?”
Nour el-Din el-Zinki group says in statement Friday that their observation posts in the area are confirming that government forces are still on the Castello road.
In the northern city of Aleppo, which has seen heavy fighting in recent months, opposition activists said rebel-held parts of the city were calm, although many people were still hunkering down in their homes, fearful of going out.
Lavrov also promised to work on solutions to getting humanitarian aid to Aleppo after explaining “the real state of things” to Kerry, the foreign ministry said.
SANA also reported violations in the northwestern village of Foua, saying insurgent sniper fire wounded a Syrian boy.
Twenty-three civilians including nine children were killed in air strikes on an IS-held town in eastern Deir Ezzor province Thursday, a monitor said.
The Pentagon, however, has serious reservations about coordinating air strikes and sharing intelligence with Russian Federation and has raised objections on numerous grounds, according to US officials. The warning came as President Barack Obama’s top national security aides continued to wrangle over whether and how to cooperate militarily with the Russians in the event those conditions are met.
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According to Syrian state media, militants shelled government-held areas in Qaboun, northeast of the city centre, injuring three people.
