Syrian conflict: UN first air drop delivers aid to Deir al-Zour
AFP
The UN says it has carried out its first air drop of aid in Syria to help civilians in an eastern city besieged by Islamic State (IS) militants.
UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council that the plane dropped 21 tonnes of humanitarian items on a government-held part of Deir al-Zour.
Initial reports indicated that the aid had successfully reached the target area, Mr O'Brien said.
The UN says 200,000 civilians are living under siege in Deir al-Zour.
Last week, more than 100 lorries carrying food and other basic goods reached 80,000 people in five other besieged areas of Syria. Two more convoys were sent to two towns besieged by government forces on Tuesday.
"Earlier this morning, a WFP (World Food Programme) plane dropped the first cargo of 21 tonnes of items into Deir al-Zour," Mr O'Brien told the Security Council.
He said aid teams on the ground confirmed that "pallets have landed in the target area as planned".
AFP
BBC UN correspondent Nick Bryant says the air drop is a last resort by aid agencies after warring parties blocked access to the city.
Convoys of lorries are considered the most efficient form of delivery for much-needed supplies, he says.
The World Food Programme had previously ruled out humanitarian air dropsin Syria due to the complexities of obtaining use of airspace, organising distribution on the ground, and finding suitable drop zones.
The UK government also said air drops were "high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed".
But Jan Egeland, who chairs a humanitarian taskforce, said last week that the strategy was the only way to feed people in Deir al-Zour.
The UN estimates that nearly 500,000 Syrians are trapped in besieged areas and has called on all sides to allow aid through.
Where the aid is going
