First aid convoy reaches Syria’s Daraya since 2012, brings no food

PanARMENIAN.Net - A humanitarian convoy reached a starved suburb of Syria's capital for the first time since 2012 on Wednesday but did not bring any food, as the opposition called for a countrywide cease-fire for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and aid access for all Syrians.

The joint UN, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy that reached Daraya Wednesday, June 1 contained medicines, vaccines, baby formula, and "nutritional items for children," the ICRC said, but no food.

"Clearly, what we brought will not meet the needs of people in Daraya -- and a one-off delivery of food will not either," Krista Armstrong of the ICRC told the AP via email, saying the organization hopes to return with food Friday. "We need to have repeated and regular access to all people living in besieged places in Syria."

It was not immediately clear why the shipment contained no food. A 36-truck aid convoy entered neighboring Moadamiyeh, which is also under government siege, at around the same time, carrying food. The suburb last received aid in February, residents said, according to AP.

The U.S.- and Russia-led International Syria Support Group last month called on the UN to "immediately carry out a program for air bridges and air drops for all areas in need" starting June 1 if it was denied humanitarian access to designated areas, including Daraya.

The United Nations Security Council is set to meet Friday to discuss the possibility of starting humanitarian air drops to besieged areas.