On Tuesday, the United States and Russia -- the main mediators in the Syrian civil war peace talks -- said they would help airdrop food and supplies in Syria if President Bashar al-Assad continued to block humanitarian aid. Besieged towns and cities in Syria are under the constant threat of food and medicinal insecurity. In April, the Syrian Red Crescent aid group launched the largest rescue operation, seen here, in the five-year Syrian civil war by evacuating 500 sick and people from four besieged towns with the help of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Photo courtesy of Syrian Red Crescent
VIENNA, May 18 (UPI) -- The United States and Russia on Tuesday said they would help the World Food Program airdrop food and emergency supplies in Syria if President Bashar al-Assad continues to block humanitarian aid to besieged areas.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the comments during ongoing discussions in Vienna on how to end the Syrian civil war. Food and supply airdrops are expensive and often inaccurate, which illustrates that the U.S. and Russian threat of carrying them out indicates peace talks between Assad's regime and a consolidated group of Syrian rebels have not advanced and are even deteriorating.
The New York Times reported attempts at ending hostilities have largely collapsed, efforts to restart peace negotiations have decomposed and there has been no progress toward the "political transition" that was scheduled to begin in Syria on Aug. 1.
Britain said it would also take part in conducting food and supply airdrops after meeting with the International Syria Support Group. The airdrops are expected to be carried out by the United Nations with Russian security.
"This is a very important step forward, not only because it will save countless thousands of lives on the ground but also potentially because it will save the political process," British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said. "If the opposition fighters on the ground do not see some relief on the ground, they cannot justify staying at the table" for Syria peace talks.
Syria has been blighted by a complex civil war in which the Islamic State, the Syrian government and multiple Syrian rebel groups fight for control of territory. The United Nations estimates at up to 400,000 people may have died so far.
