UN “to deliver aid to all of Syria's 18 besieged areas”February 19, 2016 - 11:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United Nations should be able to deliver aid to all of Syria's 18 besieged areas within a week, a senior UN official said Thursday, February 18, after life-saving supplies reached five locations, AFP reports. Jan Egeland, who is the special advisor to the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, made the comments after a meeting of representatives from the 17-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG). "We discussed the next phase which is to reach all of the remaining besieged areas of Syria. And we should be able to do (so) before the next meeting which will be in a week," Egeland said. Egeland said that there was plan to deliver aid to the eastern city Deir ez-Zor, the majority of which is controlled by the Islamic State group (IS) and where an estimated 200,000 people still live. The UN official said the World Food Programme "has now a concrete plan" to conduct humanitarian air drops over the city and that this prospective operation has the support of both the United States and Russia. Russian cargo planes reportedly delivered humanitarian aid to regime-held neighbourhoods in Deir ez-Zor last week. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |