Aid Not Entering Besieged Areas Despite Cease-Fire

Despite the cease-fire largely holding in Syria, no new deliveries of humanitarian aid have entered the country, Al Jazeera reported.

In Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, the government has reportedly blocked United Nations aid deliveries, saying it would not allow convoys from Turkey to enter without coordination with the Syrian government.

“Commenting on the Turkish regime’s statements highlighting its intention to send materials disguised as humanitarian aid to Aleppo city, the Syrian Arab Republic announces its rejection to allow such materials to enter no matter who provides them, including the Turkish regime in particular, without coordination with the Syrian government and the U.N.,” Syrian state media said, quoting the foreign ministry.

The cease-fire, brokered by Russia and the United States, stated that the Syrian government only required notification, not authorization, said U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura.

The aid delivery process to rebel-held Aleppo differs from other areas in Syria, where formal letters of authorization from the Syrian government are required, the Guardian reported.

De Mistura also said rebel groups should drop their preconditions for aid deliveries. Armed opposition groups in the embattled city are protesting continued Russian presence on the Castello Road, formerly the key supply route to eastern rebel-held Aleppo.

Sporadic violations of the cease-fire from both sides have been reported, with both Russia and the U.S. pressuring each other to maintain their allies’ commitment to the cessation of hostilities.

Kerry Says Cease-Fire Is Last Chance to Hold Syria Together

Violence would increase significantly in Syria without the recent cease-fire, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Defending the U.S.- and Russian-brokered cease-fire, Kerry said the deal was the last chance to hold Syria together. If it is successful, the seven-day cease-fire and increased humanitarian assistance would lead to more U.S. and Russian military cooperation in Syria, paving the way for a political transition.

“If you fail to get a cessation in place now and we cannot get to the table, then the fighting is going to increase significantly,” Kerry said in an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition.

Senior U.S. military and intelligence officials have criticized the plan, which includes sharing military information with Russia to coordinate airstrikes on the so-called Islamic State and the former al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.

“Well, the president of the United States is ready and I think the military therefore will be ready,” Kerry said.

“Moderate” Syrian rebel groups should distance themselves from “terrorist groups,” the Kremlin said on Wednesday, adding that a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict could be found.

Around 430,000 Killed in Syria, Monitor Says

More than 301,000 people have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011, Reuters reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that it had documented the deaths of 301,781 civilians and fighters, but places the actual death toll at approximately 430,000.

Recommended Reads:

• The New York Times: The View From Syria as a Cease-Fire Takes Effect
• Voice of America: As Syrian Cease-Fire Takes Hold, Iran’s Role Remains Murky
• The Associated Press: Officials Outline New Details of Syria Cease-Fire Deal
• The Wall Street Journal: Syrian Government Sieges Drive Out Sunni Population
• Buzzfeed: This Syrian Couple’s Reunion Will Make You Believe in True Love