Russia Sends List of Syrian Settlements Requiring Humanitarian Aid to UN

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria recently prepared the list of settlements requiring humanitarian assistance and has sent the document to the United Nations, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.

"On the basis of numerous appeals from local [Syrian] administrations, as well as on the basis of our own data, on March 2, the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria prepared a list of settlements which urgently require the delivery of humanitarian aid. The document, which is a specific list, was sent to the UN," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters.

On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268 endorsing the Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria on February 26, shortly before the ceasefire came into force. The ceasefire took effect on February 27.

The ceasefire is aimed at enabling international humanitarian assistance to reach besieged parts of Syria and ending violent clashes between government and opposition groups.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the civil war in Syria has left at least 250,000 people dead, and over a million injured. At least 13 million Syrians remain dependent on humanitarian assistance.