New aid convoy enters besieged Syrian town

Aid vehicles wait on the outskirts of besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya, on January 11, 2016

Madaya - More than two dozen people have reportedly starved to death since December.

A convoy carrying food and other desperately needed aid entered Syria's besieged Madaya on Thursday, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned that using starvation as a weapon was a war crime.
At the United Nations in New York, Western powers called for the UN Security Council to meet on Friday in order to expedite deliveries of life-saving supplies to Madaya and two other Syrian towns.
White trucks emblazoned with the logo of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered Madaya - where the UN says suffering is the worst seen in Syria's nearly five-year war - late on Thursday afternoon, an AFP reporter said.

Syrians wait for the arrival of an aid convoy on January 11, 2016. AFP
More than two dozen people have reportedly starved to death since December, and Ban warned that any side using starvation as a weapon in the conflict would be committing a "war crime".
"All sides - including the Syrian government which has the primary responsibility to protect Syrians - are committing this and other atrocious acts prohibited under international humanitarian law," Ban told reporters.
A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross said 44 aid trucks carrying food and other supplies entered Madaya, adding that a separate convoy of 17 trucks to the northwestern rebel-encircled towns of Fuaa and Kafraya reached their destinations.
"The priority is wheat flour and washing materials," Pawel Krzysiek told AFP.
"All trucks finally reach #Madaya #Fuaa #Kafraya. Our teams now talk to people to better understand the situation," the ICRC's Syria account tweeted.
Thursday's delivery to Madaya follows one on Monday that was the first humanitarian assistance received by the town in nearly four months.

All trucks finally reach #Madaya #Foua #Kefraya. Our teams now talk to people to better understand the situation pic.twitter.com/YwnLG4BZwJ
- ICRC Syria (@ICRC_sy) January 14, 2016