A second humanitarian convoy in a week is heading for the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says 44 trucks carrying food and medicine departed Damascus on January 14.
Up to 40,000 people are thought to be trapped in Madaya, a town northwest of Damascus that has been besieged for six months by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
More than two dozen people have reportedly starved to death there since December. And UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien warned this week that about 400 residents could die “from malnutrition or for complications for other medical reasons."
A smaller convoy of 17 trucks left the capital for Foah and Kefraya, where the situations are also said to be extremely dire.
The two towns located in Syria's northwest, which has been under siege by rebels, also received aid early this week.
!["You whose slogan is negotiation, expect [to end up] in Farah's swimming pool," the sign, widely shared on social media, said.](https://gdb.rferl.org/AFDC886E-7E07-4F39-ADE4-E05FCF9DC86A_cx0_cy9_cw0_w100_r1.jpg)
!["You whose slogan is negotiation, expect [to end up] in Farah's swimming pool," the sign, widely shared on social media, said.](https://gdb.rferl.org/AFDC886E-7E07-4F39-ADE4-E05FCF9DC86A_cx0_cy9_cw0_w33_r1.jpg)
