Intl aid access allowed in 11 Syrian regime held areas

The Syrian regime has allowed land access to international humanitarian agencies to carry food and medical supplies to besieged areas. The organisations will be able to start relief efforts in 11 out of 19 blocked areas this month.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) came up with a plan to provide aid to the remaining eight restricted areas through air drop mechanisms, following approval from the regime.

The US and the UK have asked the UN to seriously consider air drops to besieged areas if land access was not given to aid suppliers by the Syrian regime.

The opposition has alleged that approval of aid access to restricted areas by the regime was just to defuse international pressure.

The Syrian regime's Mission to the UN issued a statement on Thursday identifying the besieged areas. The areas included Kafr Batna, Saqba, Hammura, Jisrein, Zabadin, East Harasta, Zamalka, Madaya, Foua, Kefraya and Yarmouk.

On Thursday, British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said, "We call on the [Syrian] regime to provide land access and if they're not going to do that, then to allow air drops to deliver aid to these people."

The International Syria Support Group (ISSG), in its last meeting, set June 1 as the deadline to allow humanitarian aid to restricted areas or those in control of opposition forces.