Aid Still Stuck on Border on Fourth Morning of Cease-Fire

Aid convoys bound for war-torn Aleppo were still stuck on the Turkish side of the border on the fourth morning of the cease-fire, Agence France-Presse reported.

The cease-fire was brokered by the United States and Russia, aimed at halting hostilities across the country and facilitating aid deliveries to besieged areas such as rebel-held eastern Aleppo. While the truce has been maintained enough for the U.S. and Russia to extend it for another 48 hours, aid has yet to make its way to those in need.

“The challenge we continue to face – and this is the very sad reality – is ensuring all parties to the conflict, and those with influence over them, are in agreement,” David Swanson, a spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP.

U.N. agencies were hoping to deliver enough food to eastern Aleppo to feed 80,000 people for one month.

The cease-fire, renewable every 48 hours by the U.S. and Russia, will lead to military cooperation between the two countries if the truce holds for seven days. Except for breaches from both sides involved in the fighting, the truce is largely holding, according to the U.S. Russia, however, accused the U.S. of not fulfilling its obligations.

“As of the third day [of the truce], only the Syrian army is observing the regime of silence. At the same time, the ‘moderate opposition’ led by the U.S. is increasing the amount of attacks on residential districts,” said Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

At Least 23 Civilians Reported Killed in Northeastern Syria

At least 23 civilians were killed in airstrikes on northeastern Syria on Thursday, according to a CNN report.

The attacks hit the Islamic State-controlled city of al-Mayadin in Deir Ezzor province, injuring an additional 30 people. It is unclear which country carried out the airstrikes, which hit a shelter for displaced families according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

As the internationally brokered cease-fire enters its fourth day amid allegations of breaches from both sides and stalled aid, the airstrikes are not considered a violation. The deal struck between the U.S. and Russia excluded areas controlled by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and the former al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

“We stand for every single civilian across Syria. This area is not part of the [cease-fire] agreement, but does that mean the blood of Syrian civilians is worthless in areas under ISIS control or any other areas across the country?” said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the SOHR.

Top Turkish and Russian Military Officials Meet

Military cooperation talks on Syria between Russia and Turkey were “very productive,” Turkish officials said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian army’s general staff, met with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in Ankara – the first such meeting between the two countries in 11 years.

Russia and Turkey back opposing sides of the Syrian war, with tensions hitting a peak last November when Turkey downed a Russian warplane near its border with Syria. Their relations have recently thawed, although Russia is still a key ally of the Syrian government, while Turkey supports rebel groups fighting it.

Recommended Reads:

• The Washington Post: Finding Refuge, Still Seeking Peace
• BBC News: Syria War: Aleppo’s Children and Families Suffer Conflict’s Horror
• The New York Times: The Surprising Science of Cease-Fires: Even Failures Can Help Peace
• Al Jazeera: Inside Bashar al-Assad’s Mind
• Voice of America: Syria and Refugee Crisis to Dominate World Leaders’ U.N. Meetings