Humanitarian convoys finish delivering aid to Syria

Humanitarian convoys finish delivering aid to Syria

DAMASCUS, March 8, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Syrian soldiers are seen in the government-controlled Mlaiha town in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, on March 8, 2018. The Syrian government on Thursday prepared a second humanitarian corridor for evacuating civilians from the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta, the state-run Ekhbaria TV reported. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani/IANS)

(Photo: AP)

AFRIN (SYRIA), March 8, 2017 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military vehicles advance in Afrin, northern Syria, on March 8, 2018. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that the country

Douma, March 10 (IANS/AKI) A convoy entered the town of Douma in Syria's besieged rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus on Friday and delivered the remaining aid that could not be offloaded earlier this week due to insecurity and fighting there, the Red Cross said."Relieved that ICRC, Syrian Red Crescent and UN teams were able to fulfil their mission today in Douma, Eastern Ghouta," tweeted the Red Cross's regional director Robert Mardini."As more aid is needed in the coming days, it is absolutely critical that assurances given by warring parties be renewed and respected in the future," Mardini's tweet continued.Friday's convoy included 2,400 food parcels for 12,000 people.Ahead of the convoy's entry, Douma was hit by government airstrikes, leaving an unspecified number of people injured, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported.Relentless shelling forced trucks bringing desperately needed humanitarian aid to leave Douma on Monday before half of the food destined for the hungry could be offloaded, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said.Humanitarian access to those in need must be guaranteed. People must be allowed to leave to seek refuge and civilians and civilian infrastructure including hospitals and schools must be protected at all costs," Guterres stated.The humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta, home to hundreds of thousands of people, is dire, according to the UN and the Red Cross.--IANS

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