Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 3

Some Homs evacuees have described surviving on grass and olives, as the BBC's Lyse Doucet reports from

the city

UN aid agencies have expressed concern about the safety of scores of men and boys detained by the Syrian authorities after being evacuated from Homs. More than 300 male evacuees have been held for screening after leaving the Old City under an agreed ceasefire. Talal Barazi, governor of Homs, says 111 men have been questioned and released, while 190 others are still being held. More than 1,100 people have fled the city since Friday under a truce. Aid organisations in Syria are hoping to evacuate more civilians on Tuesday after the ceasefire was extended by three days. The UN human rights office says it is "deeply concerned" that boys and men were seized as they left the besieged area. "It is essential that they do not come to any harm," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN commissioner for Human Rights. "We will continue to press for their proper treatment according to the international humanitarian and human rights law." Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said detainees were being held at an abandoned school. "We are monitoring the situation. We are definitely taking account of the number there and who is there," she said.

Aid workers have been helping vulnerable people such as children, women and the elderly

More than 1,100 people have left Homs since a truce began on Friday

Meanwhile, face-to-face negotiations between Syrian government and opposition delegations in Geneva have been adjourned for the day. A second round of peace talks was held on Monday with separate meetings between UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and the two sides.

"The beginning of this week is as laborious as it was in the first week. We are not making much progress," he told a news conference at the United Nations headquarters. The first round ended last month with no firm agreements and both sides trading insults. The opposition wants the government to commit in writing to the 2012 Geneva Communique, which called for the formation of a transitional administration with full executive authority. President Bashar al-Assad's government has ruled out any transfer of power.

'Destitution'
On the ground, efforts are continuing to evacuate hundreds more women, children and elderly people from Homs, which has been under siege for 18 months. More than 450 civilians left on Monday, amid mortar fire and shooting. The BBC's Lyse Doucet, who is in Homs, said it was not expected that so many young men would try to leave. So their fate is being scrutinised very closely, our correspondent adds. She was at a press conference on Tuesday where the Homs governor gave the latest figures on how many detainees had been released. He said he expected around 80% of those held would be let free.

You might also like