The United Nations is trying to send more aid to rebel-held areas in Syria “as soon as possible”, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in an interview with BBC Radio.
The announcement comes after Syrian state media reported on Friday that the Syrian government agreed to provide humanitarian aid to the rebel region following Monday’s devastating earthquakes.
Dujarric says the UN is “working with all parties to get the aid through” and insists it is time to “put aside all politics”. The spokesman added that the UN supports all Syrian citizens “whether they live in rebel-held areas or government-controlled areas”.
Relief efforts in Syria are slow. Dujarric says he understands the White Helmets’ frustration and criticism. The Syrian aid organization said that the UN is failing in its relief efforts after the earthquakes.
“If I were in the middle of a devastated area and my community was affected, I would also be unhappy and critical,” Dujarric said. “Because help never comes fast enough.”
