Forces loyal to the embattled Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad have prevented an aid convoy from entering the besieged city of Aleppo in violation of the ceasefire agreement, says UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura.
Only two days ago the US and Russia brokered a ceasefire to allow humanitarian convoys to enter the city, which had been under siege by Assad forces. The city’s 300,000 residents are in dire need of food, fuel and medicine.
As many as 20 trucks have been prevented from entering the besieged city in breach of the terms agreed under the ceasefire plan.
The agreed procedure is that after the Syrian government is given details of the content of the trucks no further permission or inspections by officials are required.
De Mistura said the ceasefire agreement clearly stipulates that the government should only be notified of aid entering the city.
He added, “the trucks are not moving”; implying that the Syrian government was in breach of the agreement by refusing to allow unhindered access. “We need to do more homework,” said de Mistura.
In a statement, the Syrian government warned it would not allow Turkish humanitarian aid into the besieged city of Aleppo without its permission, reported The Guardian.
The UN special envoy urged the eastern Aleppo council to drop any preconditions for the delivery of the aid.