The Syrian government is failing to provide letters of permission to allow UN aid convoys to travel to besieged cities, in clear breach of the US-Russian ceasefire agreement, the UN special envoy for Syria has said. Hundreds of trucks were ready to be loaded, he said, and an opportunity to deliver aid and help solidify the ceasefire was being wasted. The UN has said it cannot cross front lines or checkpoints without Syrian permission. De Mistura said the aid could not move into Syria’s second city before the Castello Road route had been fully secured. Despite the problems, De Mistura insisted the Russian-American agreement “is and remains a potential game-changer”.

Source: The Guardian September 15, 2016 11:48 UTC