A convoy of humanitarian aid entered the besieged eastern Ghouta on Monday after the approval of the Syrian government. The convoy includes 46 trucks of aid for about 27,500 residents, according to international media. "At last…A convoy[…]carrying desperately-needed aid for tens of thousands is on its way to eastern Ghouta, Syria," Robert Mardini, head of the Middle East operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said on his twitter account. The ICRC announced that the convoy includes surgical and medical items, as well as 5,500 food and flour bags, enough for 27,500 residents. A senior United Nations official accompanying the convoy, Ali al-Za'tari, told Reuters that offloading the convoy would take many hours and that it might be well after nightfall before it could leave eastern Ghouta. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Syrian government has taken 70% of medical aid on the convoy. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a report, " [Syrian] regime forces control 33%, or a third, of besieged eastern Ghouta now." About 709 civilians, including 166 children, have been killed since the beginning of bombardments on eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, by the Syrian military and the Russian Air Force, according to the observatory. Previously, the UN Security Council approved a resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow the entry of aid and permit medical evacuations.
