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Aid convoys set to reach besieged areas of Syria Aid convoys head to besieged areas of Syria
(35 minutes later)
CAIRO — Aid convoys were preparing to leave for besieged areas of Syria from the country's capital, Damascus, reports said Wednesday, in what the United Nations hopes would mark the first step toward accessing devastated Syrian communities and securing a temporary cease-fire scheduled to take effect later this week. CAIRO — Convoys of trucks carried aid to besieged areas of Syria from the country's capital, Damascus, reports said Wednesday, in what the United Nations hopes will mark the first step toward accessing devastated Syrian communities and securing a temporary cease-fire scheduled to take effect later this week.
The Syrian Red Crescent said 100 truckloads of humanitarian supplies were set to head to seven areas of Syria where civilians have been trapped by government or rebel armed forces, Reuters news agency reported. The Syrian Red Crescent said 100 truckloads of humanitarian supplies were heading to seven areas of Syria where civilians have been trapped by government or rebel armed forces, Reuters news agency reported.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said 35 trucks entered the Damascus suburb of Moadamiya. Reuters reported that just nine trucks entered the area, citing a source with the Syrian Red Crescent. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said 35 trucks entered the Damascus suburb of Moadamiya. Reuters reported that just nine trucks entered the area, citing a source with the Syrian Red Crescent. Twenty-four trucks carrying food, medicine and other assistance were approaching the beleaguered town of Madaya northwest of the capital Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
The move comes a day after the United Nations’ top Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, traveled to Damascus to push for “unhindered” humanitarian access to besieged populations, a U.N. spokesman said. World powers, including the United States and Russia, are still hammering out the details of a nationwide “cessation of hostilities” set to begin on Friday. The U.N.-sponsored relief effort comes a day after the world body’s top Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, traveled to Damascus to push for “unhindered” humanitarian access to besieged populations, a U.N. spokesman said. World powers, including the United States and Russia, are still hammering out the details of a nationwide “cessation of hostilities” set to begin on Friday.
The fighting in Syria’s grinding, five-year-long war has intensified since Syrian government and allied forces — including Iraqi and Iranian fighters backed by Russia — advanced on rebel positions in the north this month. De Mistura is also working to bring stakeholders back to the table for a new round of peace talks starting Feb. 25.
[Airstrikes hit hospitals and schools in northern Syria]
Violence in Syria’s years-long conflict has risen since Syrian regime forces backed by Russia advanced on rebel positions in the country’s north earlier this month.
The areas now set to receive aid include Madaya, Zabadani, and Moadamiya near Damascus, and Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province in the country’s north. The suburbs near Damascus are under siege by pro-government forces, while Syrian rebels have surrounded the two villages in Idlib.The areas now set to receive aid include Madaya, Zabadani, and Moadamiya near Damascus, and Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province in the country’s north. The suburbs near Damascus are under siege by pro-government forces, while Syrian rebels have surrounded the two villages in Idlib.
Madaya gained worldwide attention in January after dozens of people died of starvation. Aid would also be delivered by air to the city of Deir al-Zour in the east, currently encircled by Islamic State militants, according to a statement from the 17-member International Syria Support Group.Madaya gained worldwide attention in January after dozens of people died of starvation. Aid would also be delivered by air to the city of Deir al-Zour in the east, currently encircled by Islamic State militants, according to a statement from the 17-member International Syria Support Group.
A global advocacy group, the Syria Campaign, said Wednesday that the aid was insufficient and accused the United Nations of complicity in government sieges of civilian areas.
“The reality is the U.N. is deeply complicit in the Syrian regime’s tactic of besieging civilians,” Anna Nolan, director of the Britain-based group, said of the aid deliveries Wednesday.
“The little aid that goes in [on Wednesday] is a result of public pressure, not because of U.N. action,” she said in a statement.
[Battered Aleppo latest stage for Syria’s proxy war][Battered Aleppo latest stage for Syria’s proxy war]
Russia intervened in the civil war last fall to prevent its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, from being toppled by rebels. Russia has since turned the tide against the insurgents and helped pro-regime forces close in on rebel strongholds in places such as Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.Russia intervened in the civil war last fall to prevent its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, from being toppled by rebels. Russia has since turned the tide against the insurgents and helped pro-regime forces close in on rebel strongholds in places such as Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.
Russia’s intervention has also raised tensions with Turkey, whose government wants to prevent Syrian Kurds from seizing territory on the Turkish border. Turkey’s deputy prime minister on Wednesday said the country wanted to establish a “secure zone” inside Syria to prevent “change in the demographic structure in the area,” Turkish media reported. Russia’s intervention has also raised tensions with Turkey, whose government wants to prevent Syrian Kurds from seizing territory on the Turkish border. Turkey has waged a decades-long fight against ethnic Kurdish guerillas at home. And Turkey’s deputy prime minister on Wednesday said the country wanted to establish a “secure zone” inside Syria to prevent “change in the demographic structure in the area,” Turkish media reported.
Also Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an address to local officials that Turkey has “no such plans” to halt cross-border shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria, the Associated Press reported. Also Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an address to local officials that Turkey has “no such plans” to halt cross-border shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria, the AP reported.
De Mistura is also working to bring stakeholders back to the table for a new round of peace talks starting Feb. 25.
“We are witnessing a degradation on the ground that cannot wait,” U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Tuesday in Geneva.
Russia on Tuesday denied earlier reports that its warplanes carried out a deadly strike on a hospital in northern Syria the previous day, complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire as de Mistura arrived in Damascus to push for greater humanitarian access.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the reports that Russian planes had struck the hospital “unfounded accusations” and pointed to a statement from Syria’s ambassador to Russia claiming that U.S. warplanes were responsible. The United States is conducting airstrikes in Syria against suspected Islamic State targets.
U.S. planes were not flying in the region, nor were those of any U.S. partners, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Tuesday. State Department spokesman Mark Toner blamed Russia for the airstrikes.
At least seven people were killed in the strike Monday morning, according to the nonprofit aid group Doctors Without Borders, which runs the hospital. U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said the strike “may amount to a war crime.”
The U.N. envoy said later in a statement that he had a “useful meeting” with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem.
The priority for the United Nations is “humanitarian access to besieged areas, by anyone who is besieging it,” de Mistura said, adding that it was “the duty of the government of Syria” to reach Syrian civilians under siege.
In northern Syria, at least two schools and four hospitals were hit by airstrikes on Monday, according to the United Nations.
UNICEF said Tuesday it was still trying to assess the impact of strikes on two hospitals in the north the day before. Video footage of the aftermath at one of the facilities — a children’s and maternity hospital — showed babies crying in incubators, their monitor alarms ringing.
“UNICEF staff are working with our partners to verify the number of casualties, including children killed and injured in the attacks,” spokesman Kieran Dwyer said.
Colville, in Geneva on Tuesday, called the incident “completely outrageous,” Reuters reported. “All the norms and rules and standards on conduct of warfare have just been swept aside in Syria,” he said.
But in comments carried by SANA, Assad said it is unlikely the fighting will stop.
“Regarding a cease-fire, a halt to operations, if it happened, it doesn’t mean that each party will stop using weapons,” he said.
Hashim al-Moussawi, a spokesman for the Iraqi Shiite militia Harakatal-Nujaba, which has fighters battling for Assad in Syria, said the pro-government forces were in a position of strength. “We’ve proved that we still have the upper hand,” he said.
Moussawi said it was “too early” to talk about a cease-fire.
“There’s a war,” he said.
Morris reported from Baghdad. Michael Birnbaum in Moscow contributed to this report.