Some 2,500 Syrians trapped in the besieged Old City of Homs have become pawns in complex negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition, with aid agencies caught up in an ethical dilemma amid reports of starvation. U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who ran week-long talks that ended without progress on Friday, had hoped to broker a deal paving the way for delivering food and medical supplies to rebel-held Homs and the evacuation of women and children. But each side made demands preventing a breakthrough and putting U.N. agencies, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in an untenable position. It is hugely complicated. There was no quick win this week, a U.N. official told Reuters on condition of not being identified. The government delegation of President Bashar al-Assad has said that women and children may leave the Old City, but that the names of men must be given before men are allowed to exit, according to Brahimi, calling it a precondition.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 09:06:29 +0000
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