* People trapped in Homs a small fraction of besieged civilians
* Letter from Homs residents say aid is not enough
GENEVA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The United Nations is ready to deliver a month of rations to the Old City of Homs in Syria for 2,500 people once it gets a green light from all sides, a World Food Programme (WFP) spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Families trapped in Homs are a small fraction of the quarter of a million Syrians who are living under siege in the country, according to the world body's estimates.
But Homs, much of it reduced to rubble by relentless shelling and fighting, has been a focal point of negotiations between the government and the opposition at peace talks in Switzerland.
Opposition activists living in the Old City of Homs posted a letter on social media on Tuesday saying that unless the siege was fully broken, all other measures will be "superficial".
"We assure you and the world that the demands of the besieged are not limited to humanitarian aid," it said, adding that there are dozens of medical cases that require surgery.
It called for "secure safe corridors to enter and exit (Homs) for those who want to, without their having to go through regime checkpoints that surround the besieged area."
The U.N. hub in Homs is preparing an inter-agency aid convoy carrying food and supplies for the besieged population in the rebel-held city, which has been out of reach for nearly a year, WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told Reuters in response to a query.
"Once all parties on the ground allow the inter-agency convoy to proceed, WFP will deliver to the Old City 500 family rations and 500 bags of wheat flour, enough for 2,500 people for one month," she said.
The WFP also planned to send 100 boxes of "Plumpy'Doz", a specialised nutrition product that helps to treat children suffering from stunted growth and acute malnutrition, she said.
The agency would also provide ready-to-eat food rations to "women and children who choose to be evacuated" from the Old City if access is granted, Byrs added.
SECURITY COUNCIL PARALYSED
Syrian deputy foreign minister Faysal Mekdad said on Sunday that some 2,500 people were in the Old City of Homs and that government forces were willing to let women and children leave.
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Monday the Syrian government and opposition parties were still discussing how women and children could leave the Old City, but there had been no decision on allowing access for a convoy due to snipers and other problems.
At peace talks in Geneva, the Syrian government has asked the opposition for all the names of men inside the Old City of Homs, he said. Rebel fighters are also hiding in Homs.
"It is not a precondition to allowing the women and children out, it is a pre-condition to allowing men, civilian men out," Brahimi said.
A binding Security Council resolution could formally oblige the authorities to let aid agencies into besieged areas. But divisions between Western powers, backing the rebels, and Russia, have paralysed the world body over Syria since the conflict began in 2011.
The government has encircled hundreds of thousands of people across the country, blocking off food and medicine. Anti-Assad rebels have also besieged 45,000 people in two towns in the north. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Oliver Holmes in Beirut; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.