Getting aid to civilians in besieged areas like the rebel-held eastern half of the city of Aleppo is a priority.
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He noted, however, that it was up to the United States and Russian Federation to make a first formal assessment 48 hours after the start of the truce that was brokered by the two powers.
The ceasefire does not include the insurgent groups Nusra Front, which has renamed itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and Islamic State.
United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura hailed a “significant drop in violence” over the first 24 hours of the cease-fire, but said no United Nations aid trucks have yet moved across the Turkish border into Syria.
In his comments, Mr.de Mistura also highlighted a timeline, saying that if the 48-hour benchmark worked out – including agreed-upon humanitarian access, with “no bombs and more trucks” – followed by the creation of a joint command centre between Russian Federation and the United States to plan air operations in the country, a meeting on Syria may take place in NY during the General Assembly, and then a Security Council session on 21 September.
Supplies are in warehouses ready for transportation to rebel-held east Aleppo and other besieged areas as soon as they are cleared to enter, said spokeswoman Krista Armstrong of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Aleppo, Syria’s second city, is a particular focus after weeks of heavy fighting. And for the 250,000 trapped under siege in eastern Aleppo, the truce – while they welcomed it – has yet to make their lives easier.
United Kingdom humanitarian aid spokesman David Swanson said “things are taking longer than we’d hoped”, going on to describe how warring sides were blocking aid reaching opposition-held eastern Aleppo.
“The main issue at this point is ensuring all parties to the conflict are on the same page. This is a very complex environment and we need security guarantees”, said OCHA spokesman David Swanson.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said that it was following the ceasefire with interest and hoped it will help alleviate suffering among the “brotherly Syrian people”.
“We haven’t seen the humanitarian access yet so we’re still continuing to assess this, talking to the Russians,”Toner he said”.
But they expressed frustration about the delay in promised aid.
“The truce is good, but it’s not enough”.
The United Nations said the trucks did not belong to the U.N. and that it was still awaiting confirmation that the ceasefire was holding before sending in its own convoy.
“The situation is still bad as the markets are empty”, said the 55-year-old.
The deal calls for the truce to be renewed every 48 hours, and for Washington and Moscow to begin unprecedented joint targeting of jihadists like IS and former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front if the ceasefire lasts a week.
“In accordance with the Russian-U.S. agreements, the existing 48-hour ceasefire is expiring today at 7 p.m”.
He added that Russian Federation understands the necessity of the full implementation of the agreements reached, and that it is “in favor of extending the ceasefire across Syria for another 48 hours”.
However, Assad’s forces can continue airstrikes against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked militants.
“In the past 24 hours we registered at least 10 cases of shelling of residential areas and positions of the government forces, ” the deputy chief of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, Sergey Kapitsyn, said.
Two senior administration officials, however, said the USA will bear no responsibility for any strikes made by Russian Federation or deaths that result.
The Observatory reported minor violations by both sides, but no casualties. Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said the fighting could be a serious threat to the ceasefire if it did not stop.
“If things continue on this path it will be a positive development in protecting Syrian civilians from killing, fighting and displacement”.
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Kerry said if the truce holds it would lead to talks between Assad’s government and the opposition about a political solution to the conflict, including a transitional government – presumably without Assad.
