The Syrian government’s refusal today to allow a sorely needed humanitarian aid convoy into the town of Daraya is a cruel reality check of the suffering of thousands of civilians besieged there since 2012, Amnesty International said.


The cancellation of the delivery was followed by mortar shelling of Daraya by government forces, killing a father and his son and injuring at least five other civilians. The delivery would have been the first since the siege began more than three years ago but was eventually cancelled after Syrian government forces held it up for some seven hours outside Daraya. It included medical and educational items and baby milk but, critically, did not include food.
“Thousands of civilians in Daraya need food and other essential humanitarian aid. They need also to be spared from relentless and unlawful military attacks by government forces,” said Neil Sammonds, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Syria. “This is not only what the people of Daraya need to survive, but also what is demanded by international humanitarian law, UN Security Council resolutions and by the International Syria Support Group.”