First batch of post-truce aid begins flowing to Syrians

Aid workers have begun carrying out the first delivery of humanitarian assistance to Syrians since a landmark truce came into effect at the weekend, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent said.

The Red Crescent says 10 trucks of aid including blankets and hygiene supplies provided by the United Nations had entered the besieged rebel-held town of Moadamiyet al-Sham southwest of Damascus.

Red Crescent official Muhannad al-Asadi says it is “the first delivery since the beginning of the truce” and that another 41 trucks were set to enter the town on Monday.

The trucks are carrying sanitary pads, soap, laundry detergent and blankets provided by the United Nations’ refugee and child agencies, he says.

It is the third delivery this month to Moadamiyet al-Sham, which is surrounded by pro-government forces and had seen an uptick in violence in recent months.

— AFP