Syria allows humanitarian aid into 7 besieged areas—UN

Turkish artillery fire from the border near Kilis town toward northern Syria, in Kilis, Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. A Turkish official says his country is pushing the case for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies in an international coalition against the Islamic State group. The official told reporters in Istanbul that “without ground operations it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria” and that Turkey has pressed the issue in recent discussions with the U.S. and other Western nations. AP Photo

GENEVA, Switzerland—The United Nations said Tuesday that Syria has agreed to allow access for humanitarian aid to seven besieged areas of the war-torn country.

“So far I understand that the Government of Syria has approved access to seven besieged areas,” said Vanessa Huguenin, spokeswoman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

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The areas involved are Deir ez-Zor, Foah and Kafraya in Idleb, and Madaya, Zabadani, Kafr Batna and Madamiyet Elsham in rural Damascus, she said.

“Humanitarian agencies and partners are preparing convoys for these areas, to depart as soon as possible in the coming days,” she added.

Damascus gave the green light to the aid convoys after the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura visited the capital on Tuesday.

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De Mistura earlier in the day had announced that an aid convoy would be sent Wednesday to several towns under siege by the regime or the rebels.

“It is clear it is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid, particularly now after so long time,” he told journalists after a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.