16/03/2012 11:29
UN is to send humanitarian mission to Syria
The UN is to send a humanitarian mission to Syria this weekend to assess the situation there.
Its team will be part of a delegation led by the Syrian government, which will also include staff from the Organization of Islamic Co-operation, the BBC informs.
The group will visit Homs, Hama and Deraa and other key opposition towns.
The announcement comes on the first anniversary of the uprising against the Syrian regime, which to date has claimed more than 8,000 lives, the source notes.
In a statement, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos stressed the importance of "unhindered access to identify urgent needs and provide emergency care and basic supplies".
"There is no time to waste," she said.