The UN said Thursday (June 28th) it had halted cross-border convoys carrying desperately needed aid from Jordan to southern Syria over security concerns amid a barrage of airstrikes on opposition-held towns, AFP reported.
"The extremely effective lifeline across the border from Jordan has been discontinued due to the fighting in recent days," said Jan Egeland, head of the UN's Syria humanitarian task force.
No aid convoys had crossed the border in the past two days, he said.
"Tens of thousands of civilians are fleeing for their lives," Egeland said, describing the situation as "heart wrenching, because this was a zone were people felt safe until just 10 days ago”.
Egeland said the fighting was "so intense" that the UN had failed to "reach sufficient agreements on safe passage for the convoys".
He called on "all who have influence on the situation", including Russia, the US and Jordan, "to do their utmost to ensure that we get that kind of assurance, and then the convoys will resume".
