The Syrian Red Crescent earlier said 46 truckloads of food parcels were delivered to 27,500 people, along with health items for more than 70,000 people in the town of Douma. "The convoy is a positive first step and will lessen the immediate suffering of some civilians in the Eastern Ghouta region," said Robert Maridni, Middle East Director of International Committee of the Red Cross. "But one convoy, however big, will never be enough given the dire conditions and shortages people are facing. Repeated and continuous humanitarian access is essential and more must be granted in the coming period." A World Health Organization official told Reuters that Syrian government officials had removed 70% of the supplies, which included surgical materials and trauma kits, from the trucks before they had left warehouses. This is believed to be part of the government's efforts to ensure rebels are not treated. The Syrian government and its allied forces have reclaimed a third of the Eastern Ghouta in a matter of days, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which has a network of sources on the ground. The region had been under the control of Islamist and jihadist groups since the civil war began in 2012. President Bashar al-Assad said on state television on Sunday that the offensive against "terrorism" should continue, and he dismissed dire assessments of the humanitarian situation in the enclave as "ridiculous lies". He said he supported a Russian-sponsored daily truce of five hours, to allow "the majority of those in the Eastern Ghouta" to escape the areas under the control of "terrorists". The US has condemned the government assault and said Russia, a key ally of Damascus, is killing innocent civilians. Neither the daily pause ordered by the Russians - Syria's main backers - nor the ordering of a nationwide ceasefire by the UN Security Council have led to any humanitarian relief for the enclave. The UN says that the "collective punishment of civilians is simply unacceptable".HAPPENING NOW @UN @ICRC_sy @SYRedCrescent aid convoy to #EasternGhouta exiting #Duma after nearly 9 hours. We delivered as much as we could amidst shelling. Civilians are caught in a tragic situation. pic.twitter.com/P4Djg75XRX
— Sajjad Malik (@malik_sajjad) March 5, 2018
SOURCE: BBC News ---DECRYPTED---Brightly-lit government-controlled Damascus; a backdrop for darkness-shrouded #Ghouta, where life has been crippled by recent bombardment@UOSSM pic.twitter.com/BYLvVN1dNs
— UOSSM Suisse (@UOSSM_Suisse) March 5, 2018