Russia has
agreed to a 48-hour humanitarian ceasefire in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo
to allow aid deliveries, but security guarantees are awaited from other parties
on the ground, U.N. officials said on Thursday.
The United
Nations has pushed for a weekly 48-hour pause in fighting in Aleppo to
alleviate suffering for about 2 million people, but major powers back opposing
sides in Syria's five-year-old civil war, complicating its implementation.
"We
have ... agreement now from the Russian Federation for the 48-hour pause, we're
waiting (for) it from the other actors on the ground. That has taken more time
frankly than I thought was needed," Jan Egeland, who chairs the U.N.
humanitarian task force, told reporters.
Egeland's
boss, U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, echoed his comments,
saying Russia was on board but they were waiting for others parties to agree:
"... we are ready, trucks are ready and they can leave any time we get
that message."
Russia is
the main external supporter of the government of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad. Rebel groups opposing Assad are supported by Western and Gulf powers.
The White
House on Thursday said it supported U.N. efforts to bring all sides together to
deliver humanitarian relief to Aleppo and would welcome Russia's constructive
engagement.
The U.S.
State Department said while Washington backed the 48-hour Aleppo cease-fire it
was focused on achieving a broader country-wide cessation of hostilities, which
would be the focus of talks in Geneva on Friday.
"If the
U.N. says they need 48 hours, of course we support the U.N. But ... our focus
is on a nationwide sustainable cessation of hostilities," said State
Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau. She said that would let all Syrians
have access to aid and provide a basis for a political transition.
On Aug. 19,
the main umbrella group for the Syrian opposition cautiously welcomed a
proposal for a weekly truce in Aleppo, provided this would be monitored by the
United Nations.
De Mistura
has been trying to bring government and opposition representatives back to the
negotiating table this month to revive a shattered broader ceasefire.
He said he
awaited Friday's meeting between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva before commenting further on his
"political initiatives" to relaunch the political process.
The U.N.
relief plan for Aleppo entails simultaneous deliveries of food to the
rebel-held east and government-controlled west, Egeland said.
"First,
a lifeline to eastern Aleppo, going cross-border from Turkey. Initially we
would be ready in the first 48-hour weekly pause to have two convoys, of 20
trucks each, that would carry enough food for 80,000 people in eastern
Aleppo," he said.
Western
Aleppo, where needs have "increased dramatically", would be supplied
via Damascus, he said.
There would
also be repairs of the electrical system in the "disputed south" that
powers water pumping stations serving 1.8 million people.
Civilians in
other encircled towns were also malnourished, Egeland said, singling out
rebel-besieged Foua and Kefraya in Idlib and government-besieged Madaya near
Damascus, which have not had U.N. food deliveries in 116 days.
"Starvation
is just around the corner," he warned.
(Reporting
and writing by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Additional reporting by Ayesha
Rascoe and David Alexander in Washington; Editing by Alison Williams and James
Dalgleish)
WATICH VIDEO AT THE SOURCE: REUTERS
Follow Solenzo Blog on
0 Comments