Damascus, 4 March 2018

The UN and partners plan to deliver humanitarian assistance to Duma in eastern Ghouta tomorrow, 5 March 2018. Tomorrow’s convoy will consist of 46 truckloads of health and nutrition supplies, along with food for 27,500 people in need and will be led by Ali AlZa’tari, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator. “We hope that the convoy may proceed as planned and will be followed by other convoys. Our teams on the ground are ready to do all that is needed to make this happen,” stated Al-Za’tari.

The UN and partners have received approval to deliver assistance for 70,000 people in need in Duma. The UN has received assurances that the remaining supplies for all approved people in need will be delivered on 8 March 2018.

The only UN delivery of assistance to eastern Ghouta in 2018 was on 14 February when a convoy with assistance for 7,200 people reached Nashabiyah.

The United Nations calls on all parties to facilitate unconditional, unimpeded, and sustained access to all people in need throughout the country. The UN and humanitarian partners continue to be ready to enter other hard-to-reach and besieged areas across Syria as soon as conditions allow.

Despite the ongoing violence in Syria, the UN continues to provide millions of people in need with life-saving assistance on a monthly basis.