The United Nations' humanitarian chief on Friday demanded that the Syrian government and militant groups stop interfering with the delivery of food and medicine for civilians trapped in besieged and difficult-to-reach areas in war-ravaged Syria, according to Reuters. "The continued use of siege and starvation as a weapon of war is reprehensible," U.N. under secretary-general Stephen O'Brien told the 15-nation Security Council. "Based on the latest information, we now estimate that some 592,700 people are currently living in besieged areas," he said, adding that most of those were surrounded by government forces. O'Brien said the Syrian government, and to a lesser extent the militant groups fighting the government and against each other, deliberately interfere with and restrict aid deliveries. He complained that the U.N. had asked to send aid convoys to 35 besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria in May but the government only granted full access to 14 of them and partial access to another eight. He added that the parties to the conflict also continued to siphon off crucial medical supplies from aid convoys.
