Four besieged Syrian towns receive life-saving aid: OCHA

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tuesday that inter-agency convoys delivered Monday critical humanitarian assistance to the besieged Syrian towns of Madaya, Zabdani, Fuah and Kafraya.

"After complex but outstanding coordination between teams, UN, ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent crossed conflict lines with food, nutrition and health supplies for 60,000 people," OCHA said in a statement.

"The estimated number of people in need in Fuah/Kafraya is 20,000 and for Madaya/Zabdani is 43,700" it added.

This is the first time relief items were delivered to besieged civilians in the four towns in over two months.

East Aleppo, where some 275,000 civilians are trapped by fighting pitching forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebel forces seeking to oust him, was last reached in July.

In a statement made available Tuesday morning, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, warned that food stocks have all but run out in eastern districts of the northern city.

This has been compounded by the lack of adequate medical facilities and supplies, as well as a recent upsurge in fighting.

"The intensity of attacks on eastern Aleppo neighbourhoods over the past few days has forced thousands of civilians to flee to other parts of the city," O'Brien warned.

"Initial reports indicate that up to 16,000 people have been displaced, many into uncertain and precarious situations. It is likely that thousands more will have no choice but to flee should fighting continue to spread and intensify over the coming days," he added. Endit