Beirut – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday said the largest aid convoy since the Syrian conflict started more than five years ago entered the besieged rebel-held town of al-Rastan.
Pawel Krzysiek of ICRC said that 65 five trucks carrying food, medical supplies and other vital aid had reached al-Rastan in central Syria’s Homs province.
“The supplies were provided by the UN, ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent to the town where 120,000 people are believed to be living.
“You feel the sense of urgency here. Rastan is one of the besieged areas that have not been accessed for a very long time with humanitarian supplies.
“Specialised teams will conduct assessments of the town’s health and water infrastructure, waste management mechanisms and nutritional situation,’’ Krzysiek said in a statement.
Al-Rastan has been out of the control of Syrian government forces since 2012.
It has witnessed heavy fighting in the past several years and even a recent respite in the clashes had not allowed for aid to reach the town.
The UN and aid groups have been using a cessation of hostilities agreement, which went into effect on February 27, to bring aid to besieged civilians.
On Wednesday, the UN said that it has evacuated some 500 people from four areas under siege.
UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said that since the February ceasefire, humanitarian deliveries have reached 12 of 18 areas besieged by government forces and rebels.
“We have reached so far 560,000 people there,’’ he said.
De Mistura told newsmen in Geneva that modest but real progress has been made in delivering relief supplies.
However, the truce brokered by Russia and the U.S. excluded the Islamic State terrorist militia and al-Qaeda’s Syria branch, al-Nusra Front. (dpa/NAN)