West asks UN to start Syrian aid airdrops

New York

The call for action came despite land deliveries of aid supplies to two towns besieged by Syrian government forces where civilians are facing food shortages. A convoy entered the town of Daraya for the first time since 2012 on Wednesday and a second delivery reached Moadamiyeh for the first time since March.

However, many felt it was too little, too late. French Ambassador Francois Delattre, who holds the council presidency this month, said access to the towns and villages under siege remained blocked and blamed the Syrian regime. “France is asking the United Nations and in particular the WFP to begin humanitarian airdrops for all the areas in need, beginning with Daraya, Moadamiyeh and Madaya, where the civilian population including children risks dying of hunger,” Delattre told a press conference.

Britain called for the emergency Security Council meeting on Friday to discuss humanitarian access and to press ahead with the airdrops decided at a meeting last month of the 20-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG). “It’s too little, too late,” said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. “I think that we need to press on with what the ISSG said, which is, in that scenario, there needs to be airdrops.” In Washington, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said deliveries to the two towns were “far from sufficient” and that the US supported moving forward on plans for the airdrops.

The ISSG set June 1 as the deadline for aid convoys to reach all besieged areas. It remains unclear whether the Syrian government will give its approval for the planes carrying relief supplies.