"Starvation as a weapon of war" in Syria
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the deliberate starvation of civilians in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya a "war crime." Local residents have reported 32 deaths from starvation in the rebel-held town, which has been under siege by government forces for months. Aid convoys have started bringing much-needed supplies there and to other cut-off areas in the war-torn country.
A malnourished toddler is shown in this still image taken from video said to be taken in Madaya on January 5, 2016.
Starvation in Syria
An emaciated man in Madaya is seen in this undated photo.
Hanaa Singer, UNICEF's representative in Syria said that at the makeshift hospital UNICEF visited in the town, there were only two doctors and two health professionals working under overwhelming conditions.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said January 14 that those responsible for the deliberate starvation of Madaya's townspeople must face justice.
Starvation in Syria
A convoy consisting of Red Cross, Red Crescent and United Nation (UN) gather before heading towards to Madaya from Damascus, and to al Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province, Syria, January 11, 2016.
Aid convoys headed for a besieged Madaya, where tens of thousands are trapped and the United Nations says people are reported to have died of starvation. The aid was part of an agreement between warring sides that also brought aid to al Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province.
Starvation in Syria
An emaciated man in Madaya is seen in this undated picture. Warnings of widespread starvation are growing as pro-government forces besiege the opposition-held town in Syria and winter bites, darkening the already bleak outlook for peace talks the United Nations hopes to convene this month. Madaya has been under siege for several months.
Starvation in Syria
Syrian children carry placards as they call for the lifting of the siege off Madaya and Zabadani towns in Syria, in front of the offices of the U.N. headquarters in Beirut, December 26, 2015.
The placards read in Arabic: " Siege and hunger generates terrorism." (2nd R) and "The people of Madaya and Zabadani and the rest of the besieged, are humans created for death" (C) and "Death by starvation is a screaming violation for human rights" (L).
Starvation in Syria
Syrian Army soldiers monitor residents who said they have received permission from the Syrian government to leave the besieged town as they wait with their belongings after an aid convoy entered Madaya, Syria, January 14, 2016.
Aid was sent on January 14 to the Syrian town blockaded by pro-government forces and two villages besieged by rebels for the second time this week, and a U.N. official said he hoped to make more deliveries to areas where people are starving. Tens of thousands of people have been trapped in the areas for months.
Starvation in Syria
A rebel fighter inspects aid inside Red Crescent vehicles on their way to al Foua and Kefraya, in Idlib province, Syria January 11, 2016. Dozens of trucks bearing the Red Crescent logo and carrying food and medical supplies left Damascus for Madaya near the Lebanese border as part of an agreement between warring sides. Under the agreement, aid was to enter Madaya and the two other villages simultaneously.
Juliette Touma, an Amman-based UNICEF representative said that many felt relief at finally arriving at these hard-to-reach areas. "It is important right now to maintain this humanitarian access ... There are 14 other Madayas," she said.
Starvation in Syria
The U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo (C-L), talks to journalists as a convoy of aid from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent waits on the outskirts of besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya, on January 14, 2016.
The convoy of about 50 aid trucks left Damascus for the hunger-stricken Syrian town of Madaya where 40,000 residents have suffered a crippling government siege that has drawn sharp condemnation from the United Nations.
Starvation in Syria
An emaciated man in Madaya is seen in this undated photo.
Juliette Touma, an Amman-based UNICEF representative, said the agency's staff who spent close to seven hours in Madaya on January 14, 2016 are "terribly shocked." Her staff saw "pretty horrific scenes" of malnourishment, including among women, children and the elderly, she told The Associated Press.
Besieged Syrian town
Residents, who say they have received permission from the Syrian government to leave the besieged town, walk past Syrian Army soldiers as they depart after an aid convoy entered Madaya, Syria on January 11, 2016.
An aid convoy entered Madaya on Monday where thousands have been trapped without supplies for months and people are reported to have died of starvation.
Besieged Syrian town
People wait to leave the besieged town of Madaya, northwest of Damascus, Syria, January 11, 2015.
Aid convoys reached three besieged villages on Monday -- Madaya, near Damascus, where U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said about 400 people need to be evacuated immediately to receive life-saving treatment for medical conditions, malnourishment and starvation, and the Shiite villages of Foua and Kfarya in northern Syria. Reports of starvation and images of emaciated children have raised global concerns and underscored the urgency for new peace talks.
Besieged Syrian town
Residents who say they have received permission from the Syrian government to leave the besieged town wait to depart after an aid convoy entered Madaya, Syria on January 11, 2016.
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