Britain on Monday called for an end to all sieges in Syria as a UN aid convoy arrived in the rebel-held town of Madaya to deliver food to starving residents. President Bashar al-Assad's forces have been laying siege to Madaya, but the regime agreed last week to allow the deliveries which will also be made to two other towns besieged by rebels.

"Starving civilians is an inhuman tactic used by the Asad regime and their allies," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. "All sieges must be lifted to save civilian lives and to bring Syria closer to peace," he said in a statement. About 400,000 Syrians live in besieged areas, cut off from UN aid supplies. "This is unacceptable", said the ambassador, adding that impeding aid access may be a violation of international humanitarian law. The UN Security Council was due to hear a report later Monday from UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien on the convoys to Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016