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Syria conflict: Siege evacuations under way Syria conflict: 'Largest ever' siege evacuations carried out
(about 13 hours later)
Relief agencies backed by the UN have begun to evacuate 500 wounded people from besieged Syrian towns. Relief agencies have been evacuating 500 wounded people from four besieged Syrian towns, in what has been described as the largest such operation so far in the five-year conflict.
Half will come from towns blockaded by pro-government forces, and half from towns blocked off by rebels. Half are coming from towns blockaded by pro-government forces, and half from towns blocked off by rebels.
Almost half a million people live under siege in Syria, the UN estimates. A UN chief in Syria said he had been told the operation had been successfully carried out.
Peace talks that began a week ago in Geneva have hit difficulties and it is not clear whether a partial truce that has lasted seven weeks so far will hold. Meanwhile, peace talks that started in Geneva a week ago are in difficulty.
It is not clear whether a partial truce that has lasted seven weeks so far will hold.
Opposition representatives walked out of the talks this week, blaming government violations of the ceasefire.Opposition representatives walked out of the talks this week, blaming government violations of the ceasefire.
Activists said government air strikes on Tuesday had killed 40 people in rebel-held areas.Activists said government air strikes on Tuesday had killed 40 people in rebel-held areas.
'Urgent need''Urgent need'
The news agency Reuters reports that 250 wounded people are being evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, near the Lebanese border. Both these towns are blockaded by pro-government forces. Some 250 wounded people were being evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, near the Lebanese border. Both these towns are blockaded by pro-government forces.
Meanwhile, an agreement has been reached for 250 wounded people to leave Foah and Kefraya in the north-west of the country. Both of these towns are predominantly loyal to the government and are blockaded by rebels. Meanwhile, a further 250 wounded people were leaving Foah and Kefraya in the north-west of the country. Both of these towns are predominantly loyal to the government and are blockaded by rebels.
A UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the people chosen for evacuation were "in urgent need of life-saving medical attention". Jan Egeland, chairman of a UN humanitarian task force in Syria, said the operation had faced many problems and delays but added, "as far as I know it is now successfully completed."
He said: "The sad thing is, we should not have to negotiate medical evacuations." "They have now come to their destinations," he told the BBC. "Of course their destinations are either in government-controlled areas or in opposition-controlled areas."
This is the first major evacuation since December 2015. Mr Egeland hailed "the largest evacuation ever from the besieged areas of Syria" as a "breakthrough".
He said it had been carried out mostly by the Syrian Red Crescent in cooperation with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"These have been very difficult negotiations going for a long time," he went on, saying both sides had insisted an equal number of wounded, sick and relatives left from the two areas.
Almost half a million people live under siege in Syria, the UN estimates. This is the first major evacuation since December 2015.
Meanwhile, the Syrian regime's chief representative in Geneva, Bashar al-Jaafari, insisted that the talks there would continue.Meanwhile, the Syrian regime's chief representative in Geneva, Bashar al-Jaafari, insisted that the talks there would continue.
He told reporters that "no faction" had a "veto power".He told reporters that "no faction" had a "veto power".
Mr Jaafari said: "By leaving, [the opposition representatives] may be taking away a major obstacle and that will allow us to reach a solution."Mr Jaafari said: "By leaving, [the opposition representatives] may be taking away a major obstacle and that will allow us to reach a solution."