Aid convoys waiting for green light to reach Syrians: UN body

The Office for the UN Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tuesday that convoys aiming to provide civilians in war-torn Syria life-saving assistance are waiting for it to be safe enough before carrying out relief operations in the country which has been at war since 2011.

"We remain prepared to deliver to besieged and hard-to-reach areas that includes east Aleppo where between 250,000 and 275,000 people have not been reached by the UN since early July," said OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke.

"The first planned deliveries would provide food assistance to east Aleppo delivered cross-border from Turkey," he added.

As well as Aleppo, the UN plans to reach other locations across the country as soon as access is possible, prioritizing areas including Kafraya, Foah, Madaya, Az-Zabadni and Madamiyet Elsham.

This follows the implementation of a nation-wide ceasefire on September 12 at sundown after a landmark agreement between the United States and Russia was brokered last week after lengthy negotiations.

The truce is hoped to facilitate the delivery of critical aid as well as rekindle efforts seeking to convene warring factions back to the negotiation table to find a political solution to the five-year conflict.

The ability of conducting humanitarian operations, however, will be determined by what happens on the ground in the hours and days to come, Laerke indicated.

All parties to the conflict and those "with influence over them must now ensure that the cessation of hostilities is respected to enable unimpeded, unconditional and sustained access without delay," he said

"Up until now, no convoys have proceeded in September, we hope that the reinstated cessation of hostilities will enable us to access these areas and to reach everybody in need," he concluded. Endit