Syria: Aid agencies prepare to deliver assistance as ceasefire comes into effect
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said trucks are ready with food and other essentials to be sent under UN supervision to cities such as Aleppo.
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Aid agencies are preparing to deliver assistance in the form of food and other essentials to civilians in Syria, as a ceasefire between government forces and rebel opposition groups is set to begin at sunset on Monday, The Guardian reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least 30 trucks are ready to deliver aid to the city of Aleppo under the supervision of the United Nations. “They will send food, toys and clothing to the people, mainly in Aleppo, through predetermined corridors,” Erdogan told reporters.
Other countries have also welcomed the deal, which was announced on Friday after talks between Russia and the United States. Former British foreign secretary David Miliband said the agreement was the best chance to work out a permanent end to hostilities between both sides. However, he added that differences between Moscow and Washington on the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could cause trouble for the warn-torn in the short term.
Meanwhile, groups fighting both with and against Assad’s forces have said they will support the agreement, even as some such as the Free Syrian Army have expressed reservations that it will benefit the Syrian government, BBC reported. The Ahrar al-Sham group, however, has rejected the ceasefire, saying the country’s people cannot “accept half-solutions”.
The agreement will see the Syrian government end military operations in areas held by the opposition. Russia and the US will also set up a joint centre to fight militant outfits such as the Islamic State group and the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham ten days after the end of fighting and the delivery of aid to the region.
The civil war in the West Asian country began in 2011 following massive protests against the Assad regime. Damascus has been accused of committing atrocities against civilians such as dropping barrel bombs in populated areas as well as using chemical weapons.