Madaya: Second aid convoy 'enters besieged Syrian town'
- 3 hours ago
- Middle East
AFP
A second aid convoy in a week is reported to have entered the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya.
Some 40 lorries carrying flour, medical supplies and hygiene products departed Damascus on Thursday morning.
On Monday, the UN found "horrifying conditions" while delivering aid to the 40,000 people trapped in Madaya, which is surrounded by government forces.
A smaller convoy is en route to two towns under siege by rebels in the country's north-west.
The 20,000 residents of Foah and Kefraya, where the situation is said to be extremely dire, also received aid on Monday as part of a deal between the warring parties.
Wheat and medicine
A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told the AFP news agency the priority for Thursday's aid delivery to Madaya was "wheat flour and medical assistance".
AFP
Pawel Krzysiek said the ICRC was taking a nutritionist to assess Madaya's residents, between 300 and 400 of whom are believed to be severely malnourished.
"We are encouraged that we have been able to reach these towns, where thousands of people have been trapped for very long periods of time," the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, told reporters.
"We do not want to see this as a one-off," he added. "Ultimately the real solution to this predicament, to the plight of the people besieged in these towns, is for the siege to be lifted."
Mr El Hillo added that the World Health Organisation was in direct talks with the Syrian government to secure the evacuation of hundreds of Madaya residents who are in need of urgent medical treatment.
Madaya, in the mountains 25km (15 miles) north-west of Damascus, has been besieged for six months by government forces and allied fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.
Monday night's delivery of 250 tonnes of food and 7.8 tonnes of medical supplies to the town was the first allowed by the government since October.
The UN refugee agency's representative in Syria, Sajjad Malik, said the suffering in the town was the worst he had witnessed during almost five years of civil war.
UN staff were told that 1kg (2.2lbs) of rice cost $300 (£208), while starving children said they were going out collecting grass with which to make soup, despite several having been hurt by exploding landmines in recent months.
"There are people in Madaya, but no life," Mr Malik said. "What we saw in Madaya should not happen in this century. We want to make sure the siege is lifted and this is not a one-off."
Mr Malik also confirmed people were dying from starvation there.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says a total of 28 people - including six children less than one year old - have died of starvation in Madaya since 1 December. However, Hezbollah denies there have been any deaths in the town.
The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told AFP that a third aid delivery to Madaya was expected in the coming days.
What's happening in Syria?
More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in almost five years of conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a brutal civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State.
Why are civilians under siege?
All parties to the conflict are using siege warfare, encircling populated areas, preventing civilians from leaving and blocking humanitarian access in an attempt to force opponents to surrender. Shortages of food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel have led to malnutrition and deaths among vulnerable groups.
Where are the sieges?
Government forces are besieging various locations in the eastern Ghouta area, outside Damascus, as well as the capital's western suburb of Darayya and the nearby mountain towns of Zabadani and Madaya. Rebel forces have encircled the villages of Foah and Kefraya in the northern province of Idlib, while IS militants are besieging government-held areas in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.
Are you in Madaya, Foah or Kefraya? Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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