U.N. to Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Besieged Parts of Syria

Syria will allow the U.N. to bring humanitarian aid to war-torn areas of the country following negotiations in Damascus.

U.N. officials responsible for humanitarian programs said that convoys would deliver aid to seven besieged regions within a matter of days, al-Jazeera reported Tuesday. The meeting came before an impending temporary cease-fire agreed upon by global powers engaged in the conflict.

“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 U.N. to bring humanitarian aid,” U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura, who brokered the agreement with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, said in a statement.

Syrian government forces have recently ramped up their advance with the support of Russian air strikes, which France and Turkey have condemned as “war crimes.” Russia denies allegations that its forces have bombed hospitals and schools in civilian areas.

Peace talks sponsored by the U.N. are slated to begin at the end of next week after a previous round of negotiations was suspended earlier this month.

[Al-Jazeera]