This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35309814

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Syria Madaya: Second aid convoy heads for besieged town Madaya: Second aid convoy heads for besieged Syrian town
(about 3 hours later)
The second convoy of aid lorries in a week has set off for the rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya, which is under siege from government forces. A second aid convoy in a week is heading for the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya.
About 50 trucks left the capital Damascus on Thursday, heading towards the town near the Lebanese border. Some 40 lorries carrying flour, medical supplies and hygiene products departed Damascus on Thursday morning.
The UN has said it has received credible reports of people dying of starvation in Madaya, where about 40,000 people have been trapped. On Monday, the UN found "horrifying conditions" while delivering aid to the 40,000 people trapped in Madaya, which is surrounded by government forces.
On Monday the first aid was allowed into the town since October last year. A smaller convoy is en route to two towns under siege by rebels in the country's north-west.
At the same time aid lorries also reached Foah and Kefraya, two northern towns besieged by rebel forces where the humanitarian situation is also said to be dire. The 20,000 residents of Foah and Kefraya, where the situation is said to be extremely dire, also received aid on Monday as part of a deal between the warring parties.
The latest delivery for Madaya is carrying flour, medicine and hygiene products for the town's residents, reports say. Wheat and medicine
A UN official who visited the town during the last aid drop said conditions there were the worst he had seen during Syria's five-year civil war. A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that ICRC, UN and Syrian Red Crescent lorries had left for Madaya.
People have reportedly been eating grass and pets to survive. "The priority is wheat flour and medical assistance," Pawel Krzysiek told the AFP news agency.
Madaya has been besieged since early July by government forces and their allies in Lebanon's Shia Islamist Hezbollah movement. Mr Krzysiek said the ICRC was taking a nutritionist to assess Madaya's residents, between 300 and 400 of whom are believed to be severely malnourished.
Blockades have been a feature of Syria's conflict. Up to 4.5 million people live in hard-to-reach areas, including nearly 400,000 people in 15 besieged locations who do not have access to life-saving aid. It was not clear whether aid workers would be permitted to evacuate anyone in need of urgent medical treatment, as requested by the UN's humanitarian chief.
Madaya, in the mountains 25km (15 miles) north-west of Damascus, has been besieged for six months by government forces and allied fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.
Monday night's delivery of 250 tonnes of food and 7.8 tonnes of medical supplies to the town was the first allowed by the government since October.
The UN refugee agency's representative in Syria, Sajjad Malik, said the suffering in the town was the worst he had witnessed during almost five years of civil war.
There was no light, it was very cold, and the people who gathered around the lorries were very frail, very weak, malnourished and shivering, he added.
UN staff were told that 1kg (2.2lbs) of rice cost $300 (£208), while starving children said they were going out collecting grass with which to make soup, despite several having been hurt by exploding landmines in recent months.
"There are people in Madaya, but no life," Mr Malik said. "What we saw in Madaya should not happen in this century. We want to make sure the siege is lifted and this is not a one-off."
Mr Malik also confirmed people were dying from starvation there.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says a total of 28 people - including six children less than one year old - have died of starvation in Madaya since 1 December. However, Hezbollah denies there have been any deaths in the town.
The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told AFP that a third aid delivery to Madaya was expected in the coming days.
What's happening in Syria?
More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in almost five years of conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a brutal civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State.
Why are civilians under siege?
All parties to the conflict are using siege warfare, encircling populated areas, preventing civilians from leaving and blocking humanitarian access in an attempt to force opponents to surrender. Shortages of food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel have led to malnutrition and deaths among vulnerable groups.
Where are the sieges?
Government forces are besieging various locations in the eastern Ghouta area, outside Damascus, as well as the capital's western suburb of Darayya and the nearby mountain towns of Zabadani and Madaya. Rebel forces have encircled the villages of Foah and Kefraya in the northern province of Idlib, while IS militants are besieging government-held areas in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.
Are you in Madaya, Foah or Kefraya? Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Or use the form below