UN Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mustura said that talks between senior Russian and American officials aiming for a cessation of hostilities in Syria are likely to last into the weekend as the conflict intensifies further “The discussions, and you are aware of it, in this building, while we are talking, and while we are meeting, are ongoing at the very senior military and security and diplomatic level between the Russian Federation officers at the very senior level, and American officers and representatives. They are taking place since yesterday and they are ongoing,” said Mustura.
According to reports from within the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, food was running out for the civilian population there, a fact that signifies the urgency of the matter of reaching an immediate ceasefire. De Mistura’s humanitarian advisor Jan Egeland expressed hope that the two sides would agree on a 48-hour truce in Aleppo to allow aid deliveries.
“Aleppo is one of the areas where we are ready to go immediately when there is a 48-hour pause. We’re still negotiating the access road and the modalities of this, including with the armed opposition groups. It’s urgent that we get an agreement, we were informed today that there are now 4,000 food rations left, that would be enough for 20,000 people, and the population of east Aleppo is a quarter of a million. I’m hopeful that we will have a breakthrough,” said Egeland.