LOC23:04
20:04 GMT
LONDON, June 1 (KUNA) -- Britain has called on the UN to launch a program for emergency humanitarian aid deliveries by air to besieged Syrian cities and villages.
"While air drops are complex, costly and risky, they are now the last resort to relieve human suffering across many besieged areas," British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a press statement Wednesday.
Countries with influence over the Syrian regime such as Russia and Iran must now ensure that these air operations can proceed in a safe and secure manner, Hammond added.
The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) agreed last month that if humanitarian aid was still being denied to any area by June 1st, the UN should launch a program for emergency deliveries by air, he noted.
"On the day of that deadline, the Assad regime has cynically allowed limited amounts of aid into Darayya and Muadhamiya, but it has failed to deliver the widespread humanitarian access called for by the international community." (end)
mrn.rj.ma