Round two of Geneva peace talks start after hundreds of Syrians flee besieged Homs
- 10 years ago
A second round of UN-sponsored peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition begin today in Geneva.
Delegates from both sides have arrived for the discussions which are expected to last five days but there is no sign that these will fair any better than round one.
Last time there was not even a firm deal on humanitarian relief let alone movement on the issue of a transitional government.
However since then some aid has been allowed into the besieged city of Homs along with evacuations culminating in 600 people being brought out on Sunday by the UN and Syrian Red Crescent.
Video footage from inside the city showed scores of women, children and older men carrying a few bags of possessions as they rushed to UN vehicles.
Homs was one of the first areas to rebel against the government of President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 and over the past year its people have suffered hunger and deprivation caused by one of the most protracted blockades of the conflict.
Delegates from both sides have arrived for the discussions which are expected to last five days but there is no sign that these will fair any better than round one.
Last time there was not even a firm deal on humanitarian relief let alone movement on the issue of a transitional government.
However since then some aid has been allowed into the besieged city of Homs along with evacuations culminating in 600 people being brought out on Sunday by the UN and Syrian Red Crescent.
Video footage from inside the city showed scores of women, children and older men carrying a few bags of possessions as they rushed to UN vehicles.
Homs was one of the first areas to rebel against the government of President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 and over the past year its people have suffered hunger and deprivation caused by one of the most protracted blockades of the conflict.