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Food Convoy in Syria Awaits Permission to Move, U.N. Says Food Convoy in Syria Awaits Permission to Move, U.N. Says
(about 2 hours later)
GENEVA — The United Nations has trucks loaded with food supplies for up to 2,500 people ready at a warehouse outside the Old City of Homs in western Syria but has not yet received authorization to proceed, a World Food Program spokeswoman told reporters on Tuesday. GENEVA — The United Nations has trucks loaded with food for up to 2,500 people ready at a warehouse outside Homs in western Syria but has not yet received authorization to proceed, a World Food Program spokeswoman told reporters on Tuesday.
In four days of stuttering peace talks in Geneva, the United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has pressed Syria’s government and opposition to allow aid agencies to enter blockaded areas of Homs and civilians to leave as a confidence-building step, but with little success. In four days of stuttering peace talks in Geneva, the United Nations mediator for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, has pressed Syria’s government and opposition to allow aid agencies to enter blockaded areas of Homs and let civilians leave as a confidence-building step, but with little success.
On Tuesday, the outcome of the talks was thrown into question when an afternoon session was canceled over what opposition delegates described as differences over the goal of the talks, and to give the government time to bring a proposal for the future of the country. On Tuesday, the outcome of the talks was thrown into question when an afternoon session was canceled over what opposition delegates described as differences over the goal of the talks, and to give the government time to make a proposal for the future of the country.
“There is deep resistance by the regime to move the discussions onto the question of a transitional government,” an opposition negotiator, Ahmed Jakal, told Reuters. Murhaf Joueijati, a member of the Syrian National Coalition’s negotiating team, told The Associated Press that the opposition was giving the government the chance “to come out with their own vision for a future Syria” within the context of the first agreement made in 2012. “There is deep resistance by the regime to move the discussions onto the question of a transitional government,” an opposition negotiator, Ahmed Jakal, told Reuters. Murhaf Jouejati, a member of the Syrian National Coalition’s negotiating team, told The Associated Press that the opposition was giving the government the chance “to come out with their own vision for a future Syria” within the context of the first agreement made in 2012.
On the question of humanitarian assistance, the Syrian government says it is generally ready to provide aid under an existing plan worked out with international agencies. It says that any obstruction is because of threats from insurgents. But the opposition coalition, its Western backers and some United Nations agencies say that when it comes to specific permission, particularly for convoys to enter areas under insurgent control, the government often denies access. On the question of humanitarian assistance, the Syrian government says it is generally ready to provide aid under an existing plan worked out with international agencies, and blames any obstruction on threats from insurgents. But the opposition coalition, its Western backers and some United Nations agencies say that when it comes to specific permission, particularly for convoys to enter areas under insurgent control, the government often denies access.
“The humanitarian discussions haven’t produced much unfortunately,” Mr. Brahimi told reporters at the end of Monday’s discussions, citing “all sorts of problems,” including the presence of snipers. “The humanitarian discussions haven’t produced much, unfortunately,” Mr. Brahimi told reporters at the end of Monday’s discussions, citing “all sorts of problems,” including the presence of snipers.
The World Food Program spokeswoman, Elisabeth Byrs, said the United Nations was preparing to send in a convoy once it received the go-ahead; the agency has been unable to get supplies into the Old City of Homs for over a year. “We wait until we get the green light,” she added. “So far we don’t have the green light so we are on standby.”The World Food Program spokeswoman, Elisabeth Byrs, said the United Nations was preparing to send in a convoy once it received the go-ahead; the agency has been unable to get supplies into the Old City of Homs for over a year. “We wait until we get the green light,” she added. “So far we don’t have the green light so we are on standby.”
United Nations agencies say they do not know how many people remain in the Old City but the World Food Program has prepared a month’s worth of supplies for 2,500 people, together with specialized nutrition for children presumed to be suffering from acute malnutrition and stunted growth. United Nations agencies say they do not know how many people remain in the Old City, but the World Food Program has prepared a month’s worth of supplies for 2,500 people, together with specialized nutrition for children presumed to be suffering from acute malnutrition and stunted growth.
The agency distributed food to some 687,000 people at 50 other locations in the governorate of Homs last month, Ms. Byrs said, but in many towns it has been able to enter only every three to six months. The United Nations is increasingly concerned about the fate of some 775,000 people elsewhere in the country, including in Deir al-Zour in the east, which it has been unable to reach for some months, Ms. Byrs added. The agency distributed food to 687,000 people at 50 other locations in Homs Province last month, Ms. Byrs said, but in many towns it has been able to enter only every three to six months. The United Nations is increasingly concerned about the fate of 775,000 people elsewhere in the country, including in Deir al-Zour in the east, which it has been unable to reach for some months, Ms. Byrs added.
United States officials in Geneva said earlier that talks were continuing between the United Nations, Russia, the Syrian government and the opposition on the issues of humanitarian aid to “besieged communities,” prisoner releases and exchanges, and localized cease-fires — all seen by international negotiators as potential confidence-building measures. United States officials in Geneva said earlier that talks were continuing among the United Nations, Russia, the Syrian government and the opposition on the issues of humanitarian aid to “besieged communities,” prisoner releases and exchanges, and localized cease-fires — all seen by international negotiators as potential confidence-building measures.
Western diplomats have said that if progress is not made soon, they may take the impasse to the Security Council, where they believe Russia is less likely to use its veto than in the past because it is concerned about its image on the eve of the Winter Olympics, which it is hosting. Western diplomats have said that if progress is not made soon, they may take the impasse to the Security Council, where they believe that Russia is less likely now than in the past to use its veto because it is concerned about its image on the eve of the Winter Olympics, which it is hosting.
A State Department official, Edgar Vasquez, said in a statement that relief workers from the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, other nongovernmental organizations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent “risk their lives on a daily basis to deliver aid to those in need, but have been stymied at every step by the recalcitrance of this regime.”A State Department official, Edgar Vasquez, said in a statement that relief workers from the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, other nongovernmental organizations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent “risk their lives on a daily basis to deliver aid to those in need, but have been stymied at every step by the recalcitrance of this regime.”
Mr. Vasquez said that despite efforts by the Syrian government to portray itself as facilitating access, it has not taken significant steps recently, squandering a chance “to improve the environment” at peace talks “as the best chance to tend the civil war.” Mr. Vasquez said that despite efforts by the Syrian government to portray itself as facilitating access, it has not taken significant steps recently, squandering a chance “to improve the environment” at peace talks as “the best chance to end the civil war.”