Group of nations demand UN aid access for besieged Syrians

Fourteen heads of mission in Geneva have decried a lack of access for humanitarian aid in Syria, urging the Security Council to ensure convoys reach millions of Syrians in need.

In a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the heads of mission in Geneva, including the United States and the EU, raised "serious concerns" about the implementation of seven Security Council resolutions regarding humanitarian access.

The letter's signatories also include Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada and Italy.

"We remain extremely concerned that the United Nations is being excluded from sending humanitarian convoys to besieged and hard-to-reach areas inside Syria," the letter, dated July 24, said.

"The trend has worsened significantly in recent months," the signatories added, noting that since April only two UN-supported aid convoys have been able to access territory besieged by forces loyal to the Syrian regime.

The Syrian mission in Geneva did not respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

Millions of Syrians 'hard to reach'

A Russian diplomat, however, said the letter was unexpected and uncalled for, saying the issue should have been raised via the office of the UN envoy to Syria.

"We consider this as a provocative move that will not help the humanitarian situation in Syria," the diplomat said, according to Reuters.

"The situation is not a happy one but it's not as dire as some countries want to portray it."

Jens Laerke, the UN humanitarian spokesman, said the UN had not officially received the letter but was aware of it.

Around 540,000 Syrian civilians are still besieged in 11 locations by Syrian regime forces, according to the UN, with a further four million hard to reach with aid.

Only six "hard to reach" areas have received aid since April, with Laerke saying aid deliveries have fallen far short of what the UN has "requested and is capable of and ready to deliver."

The letter quoted Security Council resolution 2139 from 2014, which urged the Syrian regime to allow "rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access" for aid convoys.

The issue is likely to be discussed on Thursday when the Security Council holds a meeting on Syrian aid.

Syria's conflict evolved from a bloody crackdown on protests in 2011 to a devastating war that has drawn in world powers, including Russia and a US-led international coalition.