First aid convoy since June enters Syria’s Homs: ICRC

The first aid convoy since mid-June has reached a besieged suburb of Syria’s Western city of Homs, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says.

An ICRC spokeswoman said a total of 19 trucks carrying wheat flour, water, medical items and sanitation material arrived in the al-Waer neighborhood on Thursday in a joint convoy of the United Nations, the Syrian Red Crescent and the ICRC.

The last aid convoy entered the besieged area on June 16.

The UN estimated that some 588,000 people live in 18 besieged districts across Syria.

Aid agencies have repeatedly demanded regular access to the blockaded regions, warning that one-off deliveries quickly run out.

Last month, UN humanitarian advisor Jan Egeland said that despite some recent positive momentum, not a single siege had been lifted and fighting had increased in Syria. He further expressed concerns that there were no guarantees that aid access would continue in the violence-wracked state.

SS