Hundreds Evacuated from Syria’s Homs As Talks Resume in Geneva

Local Editor

Aid teams evacuated hundreds of civilians from Homs city Sunday, as Syria's armed groups continue to violate a truce ahead of new Geneva talks.

The evacuation of around 600 of the 3,000 trapped people came as representatives from both sides [the regime and the opposition]converged on Geneva.

Sunday's evacuation was the second in three days after a UN-brokered truce for besieged districts of Syria's third city began on Friday.
Five men were killed when one district was hit by armed groups' mortar fire during Sunday's evacuation.

The Red Crescent said on Facebook "around 600 people evacuated today, registration is still ongoing."
"We managed to get 60 food parcels and 1500 kg of flour inside old city."
Television footage showed women, children and elderly men getting off the evacuation buses.
They appeared visibly exhausted and frail.
The civilians were aided by UN staff and Syrian Red Crescent volunteers amid a strong Syrian army presence.
"We had nothing. All the children were sick, we even had nothing to drink," said one exhausted woman, her three children standing round her.
State television said the operation took place under fire from "armed terrorist groups" .

UN Resident Coordinator Yaacub El Hillo denounced the latest attack, saying the "ceasefire was violated in a hateful way," without apportioning blame.
Sunday's evacuation was the second after 83 people were brought out on Friday's first day of the truce.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres on Sunday paid tribute to the Red Crescent and UN volunteers.
"This shows that even in the darkest of nights it is possible to offer a glimmer of hope to people in desperate need of assistance," he said.

Iran hailed the evacuation operation, the foreign ministry saying it could improve the humanitarian situation.

In parallel, media reports mentioned that the truce has been extended by 72 hours and that more people would be evacuated on Monday.

On the political front, the regime delegation and members of the opposition so-called National Coalition arrived for the second round of Geneva II on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem again headed the government delegation.
It was not yet clear if Coalition chief Ahmad Jarba will be in the opposition delegation.
Ahead of Monday's resumption of talks, al-Muallem met international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, a source close to his delegation said.

Brahimi is scheduled to hold separate sessions on Monday, with the opposition in the morning and the regime delegation in the afternoon.
It will then be decided whether to hold a joint session on Tuesday or not.

On the ground on Sunday, at least 25 members of were killed by the terrorist groups in the Maan area of Hama province.
According to the state television, the terrorists slaughtered 10 women in the massacre.

And in the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk in southern Damascus, a man and a woman died of malnutrition, it said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team