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-36496392
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Syria conflict: Food aid reaches besieged Darayya | Syria conflict: Food aid reaches besieged Darayya |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The first deliveries of food aid since 2012 have reached the besieged Damascus suburb of Darayya. | The first deliveries of food aid since 2012 have reached the besieged Damascus suburb of Darayya. |
| Trucks carrying medicine, food and flour reached the town that was among the first to report protests against Bashar al-Assad's government. | Trucks carrying medicine, food and flour reached the town that was among the first to report protests against Bashar al-Assad's government. |
| An aid delivery to Darayya early this month carried only a small amount of medicines and other non-food items. | |
| In April, the UN said at least 4,000 people were besieged in Darayya by Syrian government forces. | In April, the UN said at least 4,000 people were besieged in Darayya by Syrian government forces. |
| The UN's special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said on Thursday that the Syrian government had given permission for aid to be delivered to 19 besieged areas. | The UN's special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said on Thursday that the Syrian government had given permission for aid to be delivered to 19 besieged areas. |
| The UN has 19 areas designated as "besieged" in the country, where an estimated 600,000 people live. | The UN has 19 areas designated as "besieged" in the country, where an estimated 600,000 people live. |
| Syrian town in 'extremely dire' state | Syrian town in 'extremely dire' state |
| What's left of Syria? | What's left of Syria? |
| The latest delivery to Darayya was made by a teams from the Syrian Red Crescent and the United Nations' humanitarian body. | The latest delivery to Darayya was made by a teams from the Syrian Red Crescent and the United Nations' humanitarian body. |
| Tamam Mehrez, the operations director of the Syrian Red Crescent, told AFP news agency the goods would be enough for residents for one month. | |
| "There aren't many residents waiting for the convoy because they don't believe in promises anymore," one rebel in Darayya, Shadi Matar, told AFP. | "There aren't many residents waiting for the convoy because they don't believe in promises anymore," one rebel in Darayya, Shadi Matar, told AFP. |
| "And because of the bombings on the town, people are afraid to go out and gather in groups." | "And because of the bombings on the town, people are afraid to go out and gather in groups." |
| The US, UK and France have called for air drops of aid, given the previous reluctance of Damascus to allow relief into rebel-held areas. | The US, UK and France have called for air drops of aid, given the previous reluctance of Damascus to allow relief into rebel-held areas. |
| Mr de Mistura said he believed the pressure on the Syrian government over the prospect of air drops led it to allow aid into besieged areas. | Mr de Mistura said he believed the pressure on the Syrian government over the prospect of air drops led it to allow aid into besieged areas. |
| Elsewhere in Syria, US-backed forces drew closer to a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State in the north of the country on Thursday. | Elsewhere in Syria, US-backed forces drew closer to a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State in the north of the country on Thursday. |
| Manbij, a key town on the supply line between Turkey and the de facto IS capital Raqqa, is now effectively encircled, news agencies said. | Manbij, a key town on the supply line between Turkey and the de facto IS capital Raqqa, is now effectively encircled, news agencies said. |
| But it does not appear that IS fighters are withdrawing from the town, reports said. | But it does not appear that IS fighters are withdrawing from the town, reports said. |