Syria has been engaged in a heated civil war since March of 2011. It is the deadliest conflict of the 21st century to this point. This war has killed over 250,000 individuals and displaced another 11 million Syrians. In addition, the government has surrounded besieged areas in Syria, preventing aid from reaching them.

Late in the evening on June 16, a U.N. convoy carrying food, medicine and emergency supplies for 37,500 people reached one of the besieged areas in Syria, al Waer. This relief is the first of its kind for the people of al Waer in months.

Jens Laerk, spokesman for the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a second convoy to provide aid for the remaining 75,000 inhabitants should arrive within the next few days.

U.N. Humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland points to the significance of the convoy. He said that the besieged suburb surrounded by government troops had “been without supplies for more than three months.”

OCHA estimates that 5.47 million Syrians live in besieged and “hard to reach” areas. Numbers are difficult to confirm, due to conflicting reports from the Syrian government and U.N.

After the United Nations placed pressure on the Syrian government, the World Food Program has been able to breach blockades around several besieged areas.

They have worked with the U.N., Syrian Red Crescent, Red Cross and other relief organizations to provide much needed foreign aid to areas that have not seen relief in months or even years.

Earlier this month, a U.N. convoy reached the Damascus suburb of Darayya with aid for the first time in over four years. Shortly after the convoy left, the Syrian government dropped 28 barrel bombs from helicopters.

Because aid has been considerably scarce, and the government has been inconsistent in allowing supply convoys to enter besieged areas in Syria, the U.N. feels the urgency to provide help. They are considering sending supplies via air drop.

This is an especially risky and inefficient tactic. The U.N. believes that sending supplies in this fashion could be dangerous without approval from Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian government recently said that it would allow foreign aid convoys more access to besieged areas. Government officials said that they would also allow air drops to areas under duress from the Islamic State.

As long as the government keeps its word, this could be good news for those living under siege. For the first time in a long time, they will have increased access to food, medicine and other essentials.

– Aaron Parr

Photo: UNHCR