Syria: humanitarian aid still blocked before Baba Amro

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said to be still in negotiations Monday with Syrian authorities to enter Baba Amro, rebellious district of Homs. The edge of this district besieged and shelled for nearly a month, where food and medical supplies are desperately needed, a convoy of seven trucks loaded with emergency assistance of the ICRC to people waiting for the fourth consecutive day the green light plan to enter.

The authorities argue safety reasons, particularly the presence of bombs and mines on the road, to justify this delay. Journalists from the Syrian official channel are present, however, for several days to make reports to Baba Amro, "sanitized" in their view of "armed terrorist groups". According to activists, the plan seeks to buy time to hide his "crimes". Syrian television shows including the cleaning of the city.

The authorities' refusal to pass far the ICRC has angered the international community had asked on Thursday to Damascus "to allow free access, full and immediate humanitarian personnel" to the civilian population. The ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent said they had been distributing food, blankets and medicines to the population of the districts of Al and Al-Inchaat Taouzii in Homs but humanitarians have not been allowed Baba Amro to enter.

The head of UN humanitarian operations, Valerie Amos, announced that it will visit Syria from Wednesday to try to secure humanitarian access "without hindrance". "The Syrian authorities have confirmed that I can visit the country this week. I will arrive in Damascus Wednesday, March 7 and will leave Friday, March 9," she said in a statement. His spokesman stressed, however, she was not able to say whether Ms. Amos will travel to cities where the abuse occurred.

The envoy of the UN and Arab League to Syria, Kofi Annan, will meanwhile March 10 in Damascus, said Monday the head of the pan-Arab organization, Nabil Al-Arabi. Mr. Annan appointed last week, will, for this first mission to Syria, accompanied by his deputy, former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Qidwa.

MIGRATION TO LEBANON

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 2000 Syrians claiming to flee the bombings in the border area arrived Sunday in Lebanon. "We had similar figures in April, but the flow had stabilized since," said Dana Sleiman, spokesman for the organization. A woman from a neighboring village of Al-Koussair, 12 km from the border, crossed the border to escape the shelling of Syrian forces. According to a Reuters correspondent there, the gunfire was audible on the Lebanese side of the border.

The staff of the Lebanese army has been reinforced in the area and several hundred soldiers were deployed in Beirut where pro-and anti-Assad expressed their separate ways.

FIGHTS TO Deera

Intense fighting also erupted in the night to Deraa, in the South after the coordinated attack of roadblocks manned by the army, relate opponents. The Syrian Army attacked simultaneously open several dams and fortified positions in the streets. Tanks retaliated by pulling in residential areas and snipers in the army opened fire on anything that moves, even plastic bags.

The opposition says the Syrian Army fighters free sprung up in recent days the raids in the South, North and East to divert and alleviate the suffering of the inhabitants of Homs. Bombardments are also reported to Rastan, north of Homs, and the army would have taken place in Hama.

United States, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham pleaded for sending weapons to the insurgents through the Arab League and for the establishment of a no-fly zone. Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, will hold talks soon with his counterpart of the Arab League in Cairo, said Sunday the organization, which could confirm the evolution of Moscow's position.

The European Union, through the voice of the chief of diplomacy Catherine Ashton, urged Russia to "recognize the need for new power" in Syria. "We need the international community acts in Syria to deliver humanitarian aid in Homs. Russia must help us achieve this goal," he argued, Monday, Ashton.