Iraq News

UN assessing helicopter aid deliveries in Syria

The UN is looking at using helicopters to transport aid into besieged areas in Syria despite the high risks such operations would pose, a spokesman said Thursday (June 2nd).

Britain and France are calling on the UN to begin airdrops to civilians trapped in towns facing severe shortages of food and medicine, AFP reported.

However, helicopters would have to be used to carry aid to 15 of 19 besieged areas with urban or semi-urban densely-populated towns, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"In urban areas, airdrops are not feasible, so you are talking about the use of helicopters," he said.

"Each helicopter with about three metric tons on board would actually have to land and off-load," he added.

"One can imagine the security challenges for that -- plus the security challenges of flying helicopters over the skies of Syria," he said.

The Security Council is due to meet on Friday to discuss the UN plan for airdrops in line with a decision last month by world powers to scale up aid deliveries to desperate Syrians.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500