UN Task Force Expects Aid Access in Syria ‘Without Delay’ © Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev

19:47 12.02.2016(updated 20:29 12.02.2016) Get short URL
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Senior Advisor to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria said that newly-established Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria is expecting to get immediate access to the civilian populations in besieged and hard to reach areas in line with the agreement reached by the ISSG at Munich.

GENEVA (Sputnik) – The newly-established Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria said Friday it is expecting to get immediate access to the civilian populations in besieged and hard to reach areas in line with the agreement reached by the ISSG at Munich.

“We have already submitted requests for access to the parties surrounding besieged areas,” Jan Egeland, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, said after the first meeting of the Task Force.

“We expect to get such access without delay. Finally, the civilians who have been deprived of their basic right of humanitarian access for so long, will have hope,” Egeland, who chaired the meeting, added.

According to the Egeland, the Task Force is due to have the second meeting next week to “assess the progress made, and maintain the pressure for incremental and unimpeded aid deliveries.”

The ISSG meeting on Thursday resulted in the adoption of a final communique that called for humanitarian access to be provided swiftly to all besieged areas in Syria and set a one-week deadline for measures to be implemented to end the hostilities in the country.

The conflict in Syria has significantly damaged the country’s economy and left over 13 million people in need of humanitarian aid.