The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said international food aid has reached the besieged Syrian town of Daraya for the first time since 2012.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva today (10 Jun) OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said a joint UN-Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy reached Daraya with food and other relief items including nutritional, health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and non-food supplies. OCHA said this was a follow-up to a June 1st convoy which had delivered heath supplies including vaccines and nutrition supplies for children.
Laerke called for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all people in need, especially some 4.6 million people living in besieged and hard to reach areas.
Laarke said the June convoy plan included 19 besieged areas, including is Deir-ez Zor which is already being reach through the air drops and Yarmouk where UNRWA also has ongoing access. Laerke said of the remaining 17 requests OCHA received 15 approvals by authorities.
OCHA said it was unable to assess the condition of Daraya’s population due to the limited time that was given by the Government for aid deliveries. The town has been under government siege since November 2012.