UN Convoy Waiting at Turkish Border to Deliver Aid to 80,000 People in E. Aleppo

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The UN humanitarian convoy of 40 trucks carrying food supplies for 80,000 people in besieged eastern Aleppo is ready to cross into Syria from Turkey after receiving permission to do so, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs David Swanson told Sputnik.

Senior Adviser to UN Special Envoy for Syria Jan Egeland said on Thursday that UN hoped to deliver humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo, Syria, on September 16.

"As of today, we currently have 40 trucks of food loaded and ready at the Turkish border for 80 thousand beneficiaries for one month," Swanson said, clarifying that "UN initially plans to send only 20 truck for 40,000 people on a first day followed by another 20 trucks the day after, depending on the security situation on the ground."

Almost 14 million Syrian people remain in deep need of receiving humanitarian aid, which cannot be delivered due to continuous fighting, according to UN estimates.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition groups, as well as terrorist formations, such as the Islamic State militant group, which is prohibited in many countries, including Russia and the United States.