Aleppo medical aid access poser

BEIRUT: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been unable to get a desperately needed medical aid convoy through to civilians in the rebel-held part of Aleppo, Syria, despite a government promise last month to give it access.

“Delays often happen due to operational or security reasons, but details are not to be shared,” said WHO spokesman Tarik Ja Arevi in an e-mail on Tuesday.

In a statement released this week, the WHO said 240 000 medical treatments and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were being held in a warehouse in the government-held part of the city, Syria’s biggest, “for distribution to the targeted areas, which will begin shortly”.

The non-governmental Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations, made up of Syrian doctors, says cholera, typhoid, scabies and tuberculosis were spreading among the 360 000 people in rebel-held Aleppo due to lack of treatments or vaccines. The area is cut off on three sides by the Syrian army.

All sides in Syria’s threeyear civil war have prevented medical supplies crossing front lines, fearing they could be used to help wounded enemy fighters.

The WHO says surgical supplies such as syringes and bandages have previously been removed from convoys at checkpoints run by the security forces.

Syrian officials could not be reached for comment on Wednesday or yesterday. Damascus denies blocking aid.

Ja Arevi said vaccines and syringes had been delivered to Eastern Ghouta, the first “complete package” to that area by the WHO in more than two years.

It did not give an update on Mouadamiya.

The UN says at least 212 000 people remain besieged, mostly by the government, but also by insurgent groups. – Reuters

Delays often happen due to operational or security reasons