UN 'Pained' By Delay Of Humanitarian Aid To Syria's Aleppo

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The United Nations has expressed great disappointment over the delay in delivering humanitarian aid to the Syrian city of Aleppo, where civilians are currently suffering from lack of food and emergency supplies.

The UN says its aid trucks had not entered Syria despite the recent de-escalation of violence following the ceasefire declaration.

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UN spokesman Jens Laerke said that two convoys were still sitting at the Turkey-Syria border, where they have been for almost a week.

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The truce was supposed to allow humanitarian aid and civilian traffic into Aleppo

Hadeel al-Shalchi, a Syria researcher with Human Rights Watch (HRW) told Al Jazeera: “We know that the situation is deteriorating quickly. We know that people will begin to starve, as they ration the products that they have in the city at the moment”

Press TV reports:

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the UN aid chief said he was “pained” that the Aleppo residents were still without food and water, after reports said that an aid convoy was being stalled on the Turkish-Syrian border for a week.

“I am pained and disappointed that a United Nations convoy has yet to cross into Syria from Turkey, and safely reach eastern Aleppo, where up to 275,000 people remain trapped without food, water, proper shelter or medical care,” Stephen O’Brien said.

According to the UN official, the convoy consists of 20 trucks that carry flour and other food supplies, enough to feed some 185,000 people for one month.

The remarks came after a week-long ceasefire in Syria expired at midnight, with no immediate announcement of its extension.