HMEIMIM (Sputnik) — Syria's air force, supported by Russian jet fighters, has delivered 30 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the city of Deir Ez-Zor. The city is currently besieged by the terrorist group Daesh (ISIS/ISIL), a spokesman for the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said on Monday.
“On March 28, Russian center for Syrian reconciliation organized an aircraft delivery of International Red Crescent humanitarian cargo to the city of Deir ez-Zorr, besieged by Daesh militants,” a spokesperson told reporters.
The besieged areas of Deir ez-Zor received four parachuted platforms provided by the International Red Crescent, he said, adding that international aid organizations had been trying to access the areas for months before the reconciliation center began airdrops on Sunday.
In late February, a UN airdrop failed to reach the targeted areas, and landed on Daesh-controlled territory.
Some 200,000 people living under the Daesh-imposed siege in Deir ez-Zor are experiencing severe water shortages and a total lack of electricity, according to the United Nations. Daesh is designated as a terrorist organization and outlawed in many countries, including the United States and Russia.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with multiple opposition factions and extremist groups, including Daesh, who are fighting the Syrian army and seek to topple the government of President Bashar Assad.