Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus Countryside/Idleb, SANA – A humanitarian aid convoy headed on Thursday to the terrorists-
besieged Kefraya and al- Fouaa towns in Idleb countryside, simultaneously with another humanitarian aid convoy that headed to Madaya town in Damascus countryside.
Aid is being delivered to the three towns in implementation of a plan agreed upon by the Syrian government, the UN, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), SANA reporters in Hama and Damascus Countryside said.
The convoy bound for Kefraya and al-Fouaa, which included 18 lorries, left Hama towards al-Sqeilbiyeh town to move later to Idleb countryside, the reporters said, adding that at the same time an aid convoy was seen moving on Damascus highway towards Madaya town in the northwestern countryside.
“We are moving today with an aid convoy of around 45 lorries laded with medical, humanitarian and food supplies to Madaya and 18 lorries to Kefraya and al-Fouaa,” said UN Resident Representative in Syria Yaqoub al-Hilo, speaking to the reporters at Madaya town’s entrance.
“We will go on with this humanitarian track in coordination with all the parties concerned, and we hope the delivery will be carried out smoothly and quickly,” al-Hilo added.
He however noted that there might be a possible slight delay in aid delivery, especially in relation to Kefraya and al-Fouaa convoy, due to “the weather conditions”.
It is “encouraging” that the humanitarian process has kicked off, said the UN official said, noting that efforts to facilitate the evacuation of “critical cases” from Madaya to hospitals was directly coordinated last Monday between the World Health Organization (WHO) and medical workers and the Syrian government parties concerned.
On that same day, 44 aid convoys entered Madaya and 21 others entered Kefraya and al-Fouaa, under SARC-ICRC-UN supervision.
An 8-year-old girl in an urgent need for medical intervention was evacuated, and is now at a hospital in Damascus with her family, according to al-Hilo.
“We wish such facilitations continue,” he said.
Earlier, locals of Madaya related in statements to SANA reporters accounts of the crimes that befell them at the hands of the terrorists, confirming reports that the terrorists seized most of the aid supplies sent into the town last October and started sold the stuff to the locals at very high prices.
Kefraya and al-Fouaa, located 10 km north of Idleb city, have been besieged by “Jaish al-Fateh” terrorists for more than two years. They have repeatedly come under mortar, rocket and car bomb attacks.
Only yesterday, hundreds of the residents of Kefraya and al-Fouaa gathered in the two towns’ main squares demanding that the UN lift the siege and work to send committees to inspect the deteriorating humanitarian situation there.
Reem/Barry/H. Said
